Forest Hill mayor resigns from office citing unforeseen health reasons in his family
Forest Hill mayor Gerald Joubert, who was indicted in 2019 on charges of tampering with a government record, resigned this week citing family health concerns.
During Tuesday night’s council meeting, City Manager Sheyi I. Ipaye said he received Joubert’s resignation letter on Monday.
He asked City Secretary Amy Anderson to read the letter which said Joubert was resigning due to family health issues.
“In the past 18 years, I’ve had the pleasure of serving this community as mayor and city council member. Due to unforeseen health circumstances in my family, I must focus on them right now,” Joubert wrote.
Joubert did not return phone calls seeking comment.
The council will hold a special meeting Aug. 10 to accept Joubert’s resignation because it was not on the Aug. 3 agenda. Mayor Pro Tem Clara Faulkner will assume Joubert’s duties.
Joubert, who has held various city offices for 18 years, was indicted in 2019 on charges of tampering with a government record, involving a recall petition for former councilwoman Stephanie Boardingham.
Joubert and other residents organized a petition drive to recall Boardingham, accusing her of misusing her office for personal gain and abuse of power.
The petitions were not submitted in time for the election, but Boardingham questioned the validity of the signatures and also stated that the petitions were addressed to the city and not the city council.
Boardingham sued Forest Hill.
A judge ruled in favor of Boardingham, and the case was dismissed.
Court records indicate that Joubert’s next preliminary court hearing is Sept. 14.
Tampering with a government record is a felony offense with a range of 180 days to two years in a state jail.
This article contains material from the Star-Telegram archives.
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 6:11 PM.