Ex-Texas mayor says residents should 'fend for themselves'

The now-former mayor of a West Texas town says he had already turned in his resignation when he wrote a Facebook post saying it was not the local government's responsibility to help those suffering in the cold without power.

In his typo-ridden post made Tuesday morning, Tim Boyd wrote, "Only the strong will survive and the weak will parish." He also said he was "sick and tired" of people looking for handouts and that the current situation is "sadly a product of a socialist government."

The post was made as millions in Texas were without power following a winter storm. Utilities from Minnesota to Texas and Mississippi implemented rolling blackouts to ease the burden on power grids straining to meet extreme demand for heat and electricity.

Boyd deleted his post but stood by the sentiments in a follow-up message. He also wrote that his original message was posted as a private citizen, not the mayor of Colorado City, saying he had "had already turned in my resignation and had not signed up to run for mayor again."

However, it is unclear when exactly Boyd resigned. The Dallas Morning News reported that he had been scheduled to speak at a City Council meeting last week.

"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," Boyd's follow-up post said.

Calls made to Boyd were not immediately returned Wednesday.

Colorado City is a town of about 4,000 residents some 230 miles (370 kilometers) west of Dallas.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.