BEFORE THE CITY OF MAYSVILLE ETHICS BOARD

STATE OF GEORGIA

COMPLAINT AGAINST COUNCILMEMBER STEVE BOSWELL

1. Name and address of person filing the complaint ________________________________

2. Name and address of the party against whom the complaint is being filed. 

City of Maysville Councilmember Steve Boswell

FORMAL COMPLAINT OF OFFICIAL MISCONDUCT, OATH BREACH, ABUSE OF POWER, 

AND SUBVERSION OF CONSTITUTIONAL GOVERNANCE

TO: * The City of Maysville Ethics Board & City Clerk

• Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance Commission (O.C.G.A. § 

21-5-1 et seq.)

• City Council & Municipal Governance Review Board

• Georgia Municipal Association

• Attorney General Chris Carr

DATE: ____________________________________

I. PRELIMINARY STATEMENT

This unified complaint is formally submitted regarding a systematic pattern of official 

misconduct, political collusion, executive manipulation, unauthorized abuse of law 

enforcement authority, explicit repudiation of the constitutional framework, and breach of 

the statutory Oath of Office by City of Maysville Councilmember Steve Boswell (Ward 1).

Public admissions by Councilmember Boswell on media broadcasts (Blind Squirrel Talk

podcast) and during official city council meetings confirm that he was hand-picked and 

recruited to serve as a compliant voting block for Mayor Richard Presley, effectively 

destroying the legislative independence required by municipal governance. Furthermore, 

Councilmember Boswell has been video-recorded explicitly declaring to local citizens that 

he "doesn't care what the Constitution says" and "doesn't live by the law & the 

Constitution." When combined with documented instances of attempting to unlawfully 

command municipal police to remove peaceful citizens, publicly taunting constituents 

regarding a pre-determined voting majority ("3 is greater than 2"), dismissing public health 

concerns (clean water infrastructure) with contempt ("act better"), and failing to adhere to 

public records mandates, Councilmember Boswell’s conduct constitutes malfeasance, 

misfeasance, and a total forfeiture of his official duties under the City of Maysville Charter 

(Act No. 190, § 2.14) , the City of Maysville Code of Ethics (Ordinance No. 2006-001), 

O.C.G.A. § 21-5-1 et seq., and O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4. Immediate formal investigation and 

removal from office are requested. 2

II. PARTIES & JURISDICTION

1. Jurisdiction: The City of Maysville Ethics Board, City Council, and the State of 

Georgia possess jurisdiction over this matter pursuant to:

City of Maysville Charter (Act No. 190 / H.B. 588): Sections 2.12, 2.14, and 2.15 . 

City of Maysville Code of Ethics: Ordinance No. 2006-001. 

Georgia Ethics in Government Act: O.C.G.A. § 21-5-1 et seq.

Georgia Official Code: O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4 (Malfeasance), § 45-3-1 (Oath), § 16-10-1 (Oath 

Violation), § 50-14-1 (Open Meetings Act), and § 50-18-70 (Open Records Act).

II-A. FORMAL DEMAND FOR RECUSAL AND INDEPENDENT ETHICS PANEL

(City Charter § 2.14(a)–(b); Constitutional Administrative Due Process)

Pursuant to Section 2.14(b) of the City Charter and fundamental principles of 

administrative due process, Complainant formally demands that Respondent Steve 

Boswell, Mayor Richard Presley, and Councilmember Parr recuse themselves 

immediately from any administrative oversight, appointment of ethics panel members, or 

voting regarding this complaint. Because this complaint documents an explicit, self-

admitted three-member voting alliance ("three stooges / three amigos / three butt-

buddies"), allowing these named subject officials to participate in selecting the hearing 

panel or adjudicating these claims would create a fatal conflict of interest and render any 

resulting determination legally void. An independent, unaligned hearing officer or neutral 

panel must be designated. 

III. STATEMENT OF FACTS & SPECIFIC COUNTS

COUNT 1: EXPLICIT REPUDIATION OF THE CONSTITUTION AND VIOLATION OF OATH 

OF OFFICE

(Legal Grounds: O.C.G.A. § 16-10-1; O.C.G.A. § 45-3-1; O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4; City Charter § 

2.12 & § 2.14) 

1. Mandatory Oath of Office: Every municipal officer in the State of Georgia is 

statutory and constitutionally required under O.C.G.A. § 45-3-1 and the Maysville 

City Charter to take a solemn oath to support and defend the Constitution of the 

United States and the Constitution of the State of Georgia.

2. Video-Recorded Repudiation: On recorded video, Councilmember Steve Boswell 

explicitly declared to two local citizens that he:

"doesn't care what the constitution says" and further declared that he "doesn't 

live by the law & the constitution." 3

3. Legal Analysis & Malfeasance: An elected public official holding legislative power 

over citizens cannot legally or ethically exercise state-delegated authority while 

openly renouncing the constitutional and statutory framework that creates and 

limits that power. Under O.C.G.A. § 16-10-1 (Violation of Oath by Public Officer), 

willfully violating the terms of an official oath constitutes a felony-level breach of 

public office. Boswell’s open disavowal violates his fiduciary duties under Charter 

Section 2.14(a) and renders him legally and ethically unfit to pass ordinances, 

regulate public funds, or administer public trust. 

COUNT 2: ORCHESTRATED CANDIDATE RECRUITMENT, CAMPAIGN FINANCE 

DISCLOSURE BREACHES, AND SUBVERSION OF LEGISLATIVE INDEPENDENCE

(Legal Grounds: O.C.G.A. § 21-5-1 et seq.; City Charter § 2.14(a) & (b); Georgia Open 

Meetings Act O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1) 

1. Public Admission of Executive Recruitment: In a recorded episode of the Blind 

Squirrel Talk podcast, Councilmember Boswell publicly admitted that he did not 

independently seek office on a platform of constituent service, but was specifically 

recruited and asked to run for the Maysville City Council. Multiple citizens allege this 

candidacy was engineered by Mayor Richard Presley to secure a guaranteed "yes 

vote" to consolidate executive control.

2. Applicability under O.C.G.A. § 21-5-1 et seq.: Under the Georgia Ethics in 

Government Act (O.C.G.A. § 21-5-30 and § 21-5-50), all candidates and public 

officers are subject to strict campaign contribution disclosure and financial 

independence standards. Engineering candidacies through coordinated executive 

backing without proper campaign finance accounting or disclosure violates state 

ethics standards.

3. Admissions of Pre-Determined Factional Voting: During the July 30, 2026 City 

Council meeting, Councilmember Boswell publicly confirmed his political alliance 

with the Mayor and boasted of a pre-determined voting bloc. On official video 

record, Councilmember Boswell made the following direct statements:

o Addressing his political alliance:

"The relationship between me and Mr. Presley or Mr. Parr. You're damn right we are 

friends. We're very close friends. I'm not going to apologize for being a friend to him. 

I’m proud he calls me a friend."

o Taunting constituents and council colleagues regarding the voting split:

"Let me explain something to everyone in here. You're right. There's three stooges. 

Three amigos. Three butt-buddies. I don't care what you want to call it. I don't care 

what you what to call it but that's three. Remember that number Three." 4

"Three's the magic number"

"If you want a number 3 is greater than 2 if ya'll want to complain."

4. Violation of Fiduciary Trustee Duty: Charter Section 2.14(a) mandates that elected 

officers act as trustees for all residents. Boasting of a fixed voting alliance ("3 is 

greater than 2") demonstrates a refusal to independently deliberate and raises legal 

implications under O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1 regarding illegal pre-meeting agreements or 

"rolling quorums." 

COUNT 3: UNILATERAL ABUSE OF AUTHORITY & ATTEMPTED SUPPRESSION OF 

CONSTITUENT SPEECH

(Legal Grounds: City Charter § 2.14 & § 3.10; Georgia Open Meetings Act O.C.G.A. § 50-14-

1; First Amendment Rights) 

1. Unlawful Directives to Police: During an official public meeting of the Maysville 

City Council, Councilmember Boswell unilaterally took it upon himself to issue 

orders directly to Chief of Police Doug Anderson, commanding law enforcement to 

forcibly remove a citizen from the council chambers.

2. Lack of Threat & Excess of Authority: The citizen in question posed no physical 

threat or lawful justification for ejection.

3. Legal Analysis: Under the City Charter (§ 3.10), executive and administrative 

authority over police personnel rests solely with the executive branch/presiding 

officer, not individual councilmembers. An individual ward councilmember 

possesses zero administrative authority over law enforcement. Attempting to deploy 

municipal police power to silence a constituent violates the Open Meetings Act 

(O.C.G.A. § 50-14-1) and constitutes an abuse of official position under the City 

Ethics Ordinance. 

COUNT 4: UNPROFESSIONAL CONDUCT, ADMISSION OF INCOMPETENCE, AND 

CONTEMPT TOWARD CONSTITUENTS

(Legal Grounds: City Code of Ethics Ordinance No. 2006-001; City Charter § 2.14(a); 

O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4) 

1. Admission of Incompetence: During the July 30, 2026 public council meeting, 

Councilmember Boswell openly admitted to the public that he lacks the basic 

knowledge required to fulfill his statutory duties, stating on record:

"i never been a city council. I know nothing about municipal government and how it's 

run and all the things. It's really hard." 5

2. Hostility Toward Public Health Concerns: During the same meeting, when a local 

resident and taxpayer raised critical concerns regarding municipal infrastructure 

and requested clean drinking water, Councilmember Boswell dismissively and 

contemptuously replied:

"Well act better, people need to have more respect."

3. Violation of Ethical Standards: City Charter Section 2.14(a) and the City Code of 

Ethics (Ordinance 2006-001) require elected officials to preserve public confidence 

and treat all citizens with courtesy, dignity, and respect. Dismissing taxpaying 

citizens pleading for clean water infrastructure with personal contempt constitutes 

misfeasance and malfeasance in office under O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4. 

COUNT 5: ABDICATION OF STATUTORY DDA DUTIES AND VIOLATION OF 

COMPREHENSIVE PLAN GOALS

(Legal Grounds: O.C.G.A. § 36-42-2 et seq. (Georgia Downtown Development 

Authorities Law); City of Maysville 2024 Comprehensive Plan (Economic Development 

& Downtown Revitalization Element); City Charter § 2.14(a); City Code of Ethics 

Ordinance No. 2006-001)

1. Official Capacity and Liaison Designation

Respondent Councilmember Steve Boswell serves as the official City Council Liaison to 

the City of Maysville Downtown Development Authority (DDA). In this capacity, Respondent 

is tasked with providing legislative oversight, policy direction, and municipal alignment 

between the City Council and the DDA to execute downtown economic development 

strategies.

2. Statutory Purpose Under Georgia Law (O.C.G.A. § 36-42-2)

Under the Georgia Downtown Development Authorities Law (O.C.G.A. § 36-42-2), the 

General Assembly explicitly defines the mandatory public purpose of DDAs as:

"The revitalization and redevelopment of the central business districts... to develop and 

promote for the public good and general welfare trade, commerce, industry, and 

employment opportunities... by creating a climate favorable to the location of new industry, 

trade, and commerce."

Statutory powers under O.C.G.A. § 36-42-8 are specifically granted for capital projects, real 

property acquisition, structural renovation, commercial financing, economic incentives, 

and business recruitment—not for acting as a municipal social committee or event 

planning body.

3. Direct Violation of the City of Maysville Comprehensive Plan 6

The City of Maysville 2024 Comprehensive Plan explicitly establishes economic growth 

targets, land use policies, and revitalization priorities for the central business district. 

Specifically, the Comprehensive Plan mandates:

• Commercial & Physical Revitalization: Actively recruiting businesses, expanding 

the commercial tax base, addressing vacant/blighted downtown properties, and 

upgrading public infrastructure.

• Economic Development Strategies: Utilizing DDA statutory mechanisms to foster 

long-term commercial trade, job creation, and downtown capital investments. 

Under Respondent Boswell’s oversight as Council Liaison, the DDA has completely 

abdicated its core statutory mandates. Rather than pursuing capital projects, business 

recruitment, façade grants, or downtown structural redevelopment as required by the 

Comprehensive Plan, the DDA’s operations under Respondent’s guidance have been 

reduced exclusively to organizing local community events and social activities.

4. Legal & Ethical Analysis (Malfeasance and Fiduciary Breach)

• Breach of Fiduciary Capacity (Charter § 2.14(a)): City Charter Section 2.14(a) 

mandates that elected officials serve as "trustees and servants of the residents... 

and shall act in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of such residents." Misdirecting 

DDA oversight away from economic revitalization and downtown commercial 

development into superficial event management constitutes a failure of fiduciary 

duty to taxpayers who fund municipal development.

• Misfeasance in Office (O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4): Misusing a council liaison appointment 

to facilitate the total deviation from both state statutory purpose (O.C.G.A. § 36-42-

2) and the City's adopted Comprehensive Plan constitutes misfeasance and failure 

to faithfully discharge official municipal obligations.

COUNT 6: WILLFUL DISREGARD OF LAND USE POLICIES AND BREACH OF FIDUCIARY 

DUTY (DATA CENTER MORATORIUM VOTE)

(Legal Grounds: City of Maysville Comprehensive Plan, p. 27; City Charter § 2.14(a); 

City Code of Ethics Ordinance No. 2006-001; O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4)

1. Factual Background & Incident

On July 16, 2026, the Maysville City Council convened to vote on a temporary moratorium 

regarding data center developments. The explicit purpose of the proposed moratorium was 

to temporarily pause high-impact industrial data center applications to allow the City 

sufficient time to review, modernize, and update its Land Use Management Code.

Despite clear warnings regarding the environmental, infrastructure, power, and water 

demands posed by utility-scale data centers, Councilmember Steve Boswell cast a 7

negative vote ("NO"), seeking to block the temporary moratorium and allow unregulated 

development without updated land use protections.

2. Direct Conflict with Page 27 of the Adopted Comprehensive Plan

Page 27 of the City of Maysville Comprehensive Plan specifically governs the Land Use 

Management Code & Growth Policies . Under Page 27 of the adopted plan, the City is 

legally and policy-bound to:

• Maintain Orderly Development Standards: Proactively update and enforce land 

development ordinances prior to permitting heavy industrial or high-utility land 

uses.

• Protect Municipal Infrastructure & Public Resources: Ensure that large-scale 

commercial/industrial developments do not overwhelm municipal infrastructure 

(including power, water, and local emergency services).

• Ensure Regulatory Consistency: Align council voting decisions with the long-term 

land use goals and character protections articulated in the Comprehensive Plan.

By voting "NO" on July 16, 2026, against a necessary pause to update the Land Use 

Management Code, Councilmember Boswell directly subverted the express mandates set 

forth on Page 27 of the Comprehensive Plan.

3. Ethics Violations & Legal Analysis

Violation of Trustee & Fiduciary Duty (City Charter § 2.14(a)): Under Section 2.14(a) of 

the Maysville City Charter, elected officials are "trustees and servants of the residents of 

the city and shall act in a fiduciary capacity for the benefit of such residents." Voting against 

reasonable land use protections to accommodate unmonitored development directly 

breaches this statutory fiduciary obligation.

• Violation of Code of Ethics (Ordinance No. 2006-001): The City Code of Ethics 

requires councilmembers to uphold officially adopted city plans, protect public 

resources, and avoid taking actions that compromise public health, safety, and 

orderly municipal planning.

• Misfeasance in Office (O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4): Knowingly voting to bypass or 

undermine the Land Use Management Code review process in direct contradiction 

to Page 27 of the adopted Comprehensive Plan constitutes misfeasance—

performing a public duty in an improper, negligent, or unlawful manner that puts 

community resources at risk. 8

IV. RELIEF REQUESTED

Wherefore, the Complainant respectfully requests that the City of Maysville Ethics Board, 

City Council, and state oversight authorities grant the following relief:

1. Initiate Formal Evidentiary Investigation: Convene an immediate inquiry pursuant 

to City Charter Section 2.15 and Ordinance No. 2006-001. 

2. Issue Public Reprimand and Censure: Issue formal written findings declaring 

Councilmember Steve Boswell in violation of the City Code of Ethics , City Charter , 

and state law. 

3. Referral to State Commissions & Prosecutors: Refer the video-documented 

repudiation of the Constitutional Oath (O.C.G.A. § 16-10-1) to the Piedmont Judicial 

Circuit District Attorney, and refer candidate recruitment and financial disclosure 

matters to the Georgia Government Transparency and Campaign Finance 

Commission (O.C.G.A. § 21-5-1 et seq.).

4. Issue specific findings: that Respondent’s July 16, 2026 vote against the data 

center moratorium violated Page 27 of the Comprehensive Plan, breached his 

fiduciary duty under Charter § 2.14(a), and demonstrated a failure to protect city 

infrastructure and land management standards.

5. Statutory Authority: Under O.C.G.A. § 50-14-6, any person who knowingly and 

willfully conducts or participates in a meeting in violation of the Open Meetings Act 

(including attempting to unlawfully eject citizens or conducting serial/rolling 

quorums to pre-determine votes outside noticed meetings) is guilty of a 

misdemeanor punishable by fines up to $1,000.

6. Removal / Forfeiture of Office: Issue a determination of forfeiture of office 

pursuant to City Charter Section 2.14(h) and O.C.G.A. § 45-11-4 for malfeasance and 

total breach of public trust. 

V. SUPPORTING EXHIBITS & ATTACHMENTS – Exhibits will be delivered to the Ethics 

Committee Chairperson once established.

• Exhibit A: Audio/Video recording of the Blind Squirrel Talk podcast featuring 

Councilmember Steve Boswell discussing his candidate recruitment.

• Exhibit B: Official video recording and of the July 30, 2026 City Council Meeting 

containing verbatim quotes ("three stooges", "three amigos", "three butt-buddies", "3 

is greater than 2", "act better").

• Exhibit C: Video-recorded statement documenting Councilmember Boswell 

declaring that he "doesn't care what the constitution says" and "doesn't live by the 

law & the constitution."

• Exhibit D: Open Records Request log and non-compliance documentation under 

O.C.G.A. § 50-18-70. 9