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I run this town.
You may have seen that on the t-shirt of Dr. Francis Slate on the front page. It was made several years ago at a bicycle race in town – right before the Mocksville mayor, well into his 90s at the time – hopped on an oversized tricycle for a silly ride, to the delight of those in attendance.
That t-shirt was right.
He ran this town.
But in a good way.
Dr. Slate didn’t rule with an iron fist, making demands at every turn. In fact, if he ever even made a demand, I didn’t hear about it.
He was more of a suggestion type of guy, the type of office holder (The word politician just doesn’t seem right here.) who genuinely looked at all sides of an issue before making a decision. And his decisions were always based on what he – after careful deliberation – thought were best for the town. And he was usually right.
He was a calm leader. He was someone any town employee could go to with a concern without fear of repercussions. The good employees went to him often, seeking advice.
That’s how he ran this town.
– Mike Barnhardt