The City of Forsyth’s Board of Aldermen is moving forward with plans to impeach the town’s mayor.
At a meeting earlier this month, the Board voted unanimously to approve moving $30 thousand dollars in the city’s budget around to fund impeachment proceedings against Mayor Julie AuBuchon. AuBuchon was elected in April of last year.
During that meeting March 5 the Boad accused the mayor of “failing her essential duties and responsibilities by engaging in action and behavior unbecoming of the office and detrimental to the administration of the city”. They say Mayor AuBuchon has created a hostile work environment through what was described as “inappropriate sexual innuendos and comments.”
The board censured the mayor for these actions in November of 2025. They say there have been additional issues since that censure.
They’ve now agreed to move $30 thousand dollars from Forsyth’s General Reserve Fund to the general fund for attorney fees to cover the impeachment proceedings.
Alderman Scott Novak spoke during the meeting March 5, with emotion over the situation and regret at the cost to the city, he implored the mayor to resign and described the issue as distracting from an effort to hire a new city administrator. He and other aldermen also expressed a desire to, as they describe it, protect city employees. The board also worried that not doing anything could expose the city to future lawsuits. Mayor AuBuchon, for her part, welcomed the potential impeachment as an opportunity to clear her name.
"This process will not protect you,” Novak replied to AuBuchon. “You will not win this,” he said, “with what you’ve said and done to these people.”
Forsyth’s attorney said that at its quickest, once it gets going, the impeachment could be done in five to six months. Novak lamented how long that process would be but ultimately voted with the rest of the board to approve the reallocation.
The next step is to find a hearing officer, the city’s attorney suggested a retired judge, then the Board will set a timeline and establish rules for the impeachment process.