THOMASVILLE — Mayor Greg Hobbs thanked two Thomasville residents who called for him to step down for their comments and continued to preside at the Monday night Thomasville City Council meeting.

A six-count indictment was returned on Hobbs last week. Indictment counts — all city-related — include five felonies and one misdemeanor. Hobbs also is a defendant in four city-related lawsuits.

In a one-sentence statement, Wallace Goodman said, “Tonight I ask the mayor to honor the citizens of Thomasville by stepping down until all legal matters are settled.”

Because a person is considered innocent until proven guilty does not mean Hobbs should continue as mayor, Joe Brown told the council.

“Mayor Hobbs’ actions have resulted in a grand jury indictment on six counts,” he said.

Findings in the Archer report commissioned by city council, and based on the preponderance of evidence, showed Hobbs made false statements to the report investigator and to the then-acting city manager, “plus other detrimental findings,” Brown said.

“These unethical actions and others are a violation of his oath of office, an embarrassment to all citizens and have diminished the reputation of the city council and Thomasville fare and wide,” Brown continued. “Mayor Hobbs, based on your actions and for the good of the council and Thomasville, I recommend you resign from your position of mayor, and perhaps from the council, to allow the council and the PDA (Payroll Development Authority) to deal with the pressing issues we face, such as Pinetree Boulevard improvements, a downtown hotel and many other matters.”

As mayor, Hobbs serves as chairman of the Thomasville Payroll Development Authority.

Brown called for a new mayor “undistracted from preparations for defending himself in a criminal trial and several civil trials.”

He told Hobbs that to step down would be “an honorable action on your part for the good of the city.” To step down would allow Hobbs to prepare his defense and spare the city from the press reports of “all the gory details of future criminal and civil trials of a Thomasville mayor, further damaging the city’s reputation,” Brown said.

There are no racial issues in the situation, Brown added.

“There are some who see this in racial terms, but nothing could be further from the truth,” Brown said. “The mayor allegedly brought a criminal allegation against an African-American woman with impeccable credentials, Kha McDonald. If he steps down, an African-American, (Mayor Pro Tem) Terry Scott, would become the mayor.”

Every two years, Thomasville City Council elects a mayor and mayor pro tem. Hobbs and Scott were elected by the council as mayor and mayor pro tem, respectively, in January 2018. Both serve voting districts.

After the council meeting, Goodman said he believes in the country’s judicial system.

“The grand jury process has indicted Mayor Hobbs on numerous charges. Now it is up to the courts and a jury of his peers to determine his guilt or innocence,” Goodman said.

Said Brown after the meeting, “We made a request. Hopefully, he will think about it and make the right decision.”

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820