2026 SESSION
ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 59
Celebrating the life of James Paul Councill III.
Agreed to by the Senate, February 26, 2026
WHEREAS, James Paul Councill III, an honorable veteran, accomplished financial adviser, esteemed public servant, devoted family man, and beloved member of the Franklin community, died on January 8, 2026; and
WHEREAS, James “Jim” Councill graduated in 1963 from Franklin High School, where he played football and basketball, and earned a bachelor's degree in history and political science from Hampden-Sydney College four years later; and
WHEREAS, after school, Jim Councill served his country with honor and distinction as a member of the United States Air Force, working for 10 years as an aircraft maintenance officer on C-141 and C-5 aircraft in Charleston, South Carolina; and
WHEREAS, Jim Councill and his family returned to Franklin in 1978 as he embarked upon a successful half-century career in the financial services industry in his capacity as a Chartered Life Underwriter and Chartered Financial Consultant; and
WHEREAS, Jim Councill followed in the footsteps of his father, the Honorable J. Paul Councill, Jr., who was a former member of the House of Delegates, when he embraced the call to public service and led the City of Franklin as its mayor for 16 years; and
WHEREAS, Jim Councill's legacy as mayor of the City of Franklin includes leading the locality's recovery following the devastation of Hurricane Floyd in 1999 and Hurricane Isabel in 2006, as well as the creation of the Smart Beginnings program, an early childhood education initiative that has since been adopted throughout the Commonwealth; and