ORANGE PARK – Vice-Mayor Eddie Henley announced his resignation as a town council member following a 30-minute speech early in Tuesday night’s town meeting, saying he was subject to racism and intimidation.

The past few meetings he has mentioned allegations about him and Tuesday addressed rumors he did not live in the town or didn’t care about residents.

Henley and Council Member Alan Watt voted for Henley to become mayor, while Mayor Randy Anderson and council members Susana Thompson and John Hauber voted for a second term for Anderson.

He said before the mayoral vote in mid-May, he received rumors there were doubts about a a purchase a home in Oakleaf.

“If you wanted to know who I made my mortgage to … when I would have planned to move into a home in Oakleaf, if you wanted an idea, I really don’t know myself,” Henley said. “But I would have told you, maybe even invited you over.”

Henley said the emails and allegations about his residence were different groups. He repeatedly called the unidentified accusers “faceless cowards,” and he referenced Adolf Hitler and Vladimir Putin, and also said the people attacking him will be going to Hell if they don’t change their ways. Henley held up a large stack of printed emails and read a few, referring to the sender or senders as a “secret society.”

Henley later read out a definition of the word “racism.” He held up a printed picture that he said depicted a racist image.

“This is the trash and garbage I received,” he said. “I’m sick and tired of it. I don’t have to tolerate it anymore.”

Town Clerk Courtney Russo later read Henley’s official resignation into the record before he left with a large crowd.

The council then heard a few public commenters, such as Sherri Snow and Larry Carter, who challenged Henley’s claims and insisted the board wasn’t racist. Former Mayor Eugene Nix also disputed Henley’s statements, but said that town officials don’t listen to the town. He criticized the town spending money on branding.

“You’re not listening to the people,” Nix said.

In other business, council members passed the first reading of a food truck ordinance and chose to remain with SouthState Bank by 4-0 votes.

Shortly after Henley’s announcement, Anderson said he didn’t know of any resident investigations into Henley. Anderson said council members regularly receive harsh emails from frustrated residents. Anderson then apologized to Henley after the vice-mayor resigned and he asked Henley to reconsider.

Anderson asked for it to be an agenda item at a later meeting to discuss the future of the seat. Town Attorney Sam Garrison said Henley’s resignation triggered a few decisions for council members.

Council members can vote in an appointee by a majority. The appointee has to be a U.S. citizen and reside within town limits for six months prior to their appointment. Garrison said there is no perfect process, council members are the arbiters of that process and there are no time limits for the decision.

“Basically, what this says in layman's terms is that you do have a vacancy obviously now. So, your responsibility (is) to appoint a successor, to fill the remainder of this year until the next regular election,” Garrison said. “Whoever is appointed, that will be their appointed term.”

During council member comments, Anderson said he was sad to see what transpired.

“I think some residents go overboard. Some of the things (Henley) read, he should have never have read because that should have never been sent,” Anderson said. “I feel people can get behind a keyboard and write whatever they want, because you're not looking at them, and send it.”

Hauber called the content of the emails Henley shameful and disheartening. He said no one on the council has been racist. The town needs to be unified, he said.

“We don’t see color up here, we see everybody as a human and that’s how we intend to treat everybody,” Hauber said.

Before quoting Proverbs 20:7, Thompson said she wanted people to keep working toward the betterment of the community rather than causing strife. Thompson said she couldn’t imagine what Henley has been through.

“I want him to know I feel for him and his family,” Thompson said.

The final speaker was Watt, who said he’s been the subject of abuse, but nothing compared to Henley’s statements Tuesday night. Watt said several public commenters do not know how municipalities work whether its laws, acquisitions or accounting. He said public commenters who verbally attack town staff should be shut down by the mayor’s gavel and public comment shouldn’t be used for one-on-one conversations with council members or staff.

Watt said Henley earned his unanimous appointment to the council through his work in the community and he would call the vice-mayor after the meeting to apologize for getting him involved in government.

“It’s just so wrong and it just paints such a bad picture for all of us, everybody, all 9,000 of us,” Watt said.