Texas mayor resigns after telling residents without electricity to ‘come up with game plan’

Electricity service trucks line up after after a snow storm in Texas Tuesday, where winter storm Uri has brought historic cold weather and power outages as storms have brought a mix of freezing temperatures and precipitation. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The mayor of a small town in Texas resigned the same afternoon he posted a controversial message disparaging citizens experiencing unprecedented winter weather in the state. 

Tim Boyd, now the former mayor of Colorado City, wrote a vitriolic Facebook post Tuesday morning that disparaged his own citizens as “lazy” and told them to “get off your ass and take care of your own family!” 

Electricity service trucks line up after after a snow storm in Texas Tuesday, where winter storm Uri has brought historic cold weather and power outages as storms have brought a mix of freezing temperatures and precipitation. (Photo by Ron Jenkins/Getty Images)

The west-of-Dallas town reportedly has a large number of elderly in its population of just over 4,000, who Boyd referenced in his now-deleted apology missive later Tuesday, in which he said he’d already resigned and would not be seeking re-election. 

“I would never want to hurt the elderly or anyone that is in true need of help to be left to fend for themselves,” wrote Boyd in his second post. “I was only making the statement that those folks that are too lazy to get up and fend for themselves but are capable should not be dealt a handout. I apologize for the wording and some of the phrases that were used!”

In his initial, error-ridden post, the Republican Boyd began, “No one owes you are your family anything; nor is it the local government’s responsibility to support you during trying times like this! Sink or swim it’s your choice!”

He wrote “the City and County, along with power providers or any other service owes you NOTHING! I’m sick and tired of people looking for a damn handout!”

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“If you don’t have electricity you step up and come up with a game plan to keep your family warm and safe,” he continued. “If you have no water you deal without and think outside of the box to survive and supply water to your family. If you are sitting at home in the cold because you have no power and are sitting there waiting for someone to come rescue you because your lazy is direct result of your raising!”

“Only the strong will survive,” Boyd contended, adding that God gave people to support themselves during these unprecedented times, and citizens looking for help are the product of a “socialist government.” 

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“Bottom line,” his post concluded, “quit crying and looking for a handout! Get off your ass and take care of your own family!”

In his second post, Boyd then blamed cancel culture for his wife reportedly being laid off as a result of his earlier message. He also said his wife and family did not deserve “harassment.”

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