Joshua Morrison/Mount Vernon News
Mayor Richard Mavis speaks with City Councilmember Nancy Vail at a recent meeting of Mount Vernon City Council. With his retirement this year, Mavis is capping off a 44 year career in local politics, including 24 as mayor. [request]
MOUNT VERNON — After 44 years in politics, Richard Mavis has the rare privilege of leaving the game on his terms.
Mavis, who has served as the mayor of Mount Vernon for the past 24 years and was a county commissioner for 20 years before that, decided to retire from office at the end of 2019. Retiring — rather than being told by voters not to come back in an election year, rather than leaving because of health reasons or being shelved by one’s party.
“I always thought I’d know, that I could say, this needs to be it. And this is it,” Mavis said. “I’ve always had something to do, there was always that designated place to arrive. But I’m looking forward to January. I’m looking forward to having nothing to do.”
Mavis’s political career started in 1974, when he ran successfully for Knox County Commissioner. He was elected to his first term as mayor in 1995 and started in the office in 1996.
He had a political hiatus in 1994, when he was defeated for a fifth term as county commissioner. He also ran, unsuccessfully, for state representative in 1983. His first attempt at being elected mayor resulted in a loss in 1992. However, he came back to defeat several challengers for the job between 1996 and 2019.
It will be a switch for someone used to working hard. Mavis also operated a sporting goods store bearing the family name while serving as commissioner. Until the business was sold in 1994, Mavis said he never knew what it was like to have a Saturday off.
There are some projects in the city he would like to see through to completion. But he has come to realize that the job is never done, and is content with providing a path for the incoming administration.
He doesn’t resent backing issues that were unpopular. His support for the construction of the Kokosing Gap Trail may very well have cost him his final bid for commissioner; however, in his final year as mayor, he saw council approve an improvement for that very same trail, an underpass beneath South Main Street via the Viaduct. He supported the continued use of the MODA public transportation system when other counties wanted to get out; that same system continues in operation under the name of Knox Area Transit.
On Page 7A of today’s edition, you will find a tribute to Mavis’s years of service to Mount Vernon.
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