“The results of our growth is more than obvious,” he said.
Dayton’s new mayor, Shenise Turner-Sloss, will be sworn in Monday, along with incumbent City Commissioner Darryl Fairchild and Darius Beckham, who is the newest member of the five-person body. The ceremony will take place at 6 p.m. at the Kroc Center, located at 1000 N. Keowee St.
Mims was elected Dayton’s mayor in 2021 after serving as a city commissioner for two terms. He previously was a teacher, a coach and president of the Dayton teachers’ union and the Dayton school board.
Mims won the mayor’s race in 2021 easily, earning about two-thirds of the vote. He took the reins from Mayor Nan Whaley, who did not to seek reelection.
Credit: Bryant Billing
Credit: Bryant Billing
At his final commission meeting as mayor, Mims said he hopes Dayton will stay on the right track.
“I would just ask that you keep the momentum going,” he said. “All you need to do is keep your shoulder to the wheel.”
After the meeting, Mims told this news outlet that he’s proud of his accomplishments in office and he feels good about the current state of Dayton and the city’s future. He said Dayton is a regional leader in job growth and wages and household incomes are rising.
Under his leadership, Mims said the city has torn down lots of blighted vacant properties and made strategic investments to improve residents’ quality of life.
Mims said he’ll miss going out in the community as a representative and a cheerleader of the city. Looking ahead, Mims said he plans to remain involved in the community and will continue to be a mentor to young people. But he said he looks forward to having more free time to play golf.
“What I will not miss is the duplication of my calendar and trying to be at three places at one time,” he said.
Mims ended his final commission meeting with the same words that he says at the close of every weekly meeting: “Love and peace for all, with hatred for none, and with no further business to come before this commission, this meeting is adjourned.”
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