Mayor Staff to step down May 31; Pro Tem Lassiter expected to take over
By DON FLETCHER
News Staff Writer
Atmore Mayor Jim Staff confirmed this week rumors that he has decided to step down as the city’s chief executive officer on May 31, almost five months before his term officially ends.
“It’s time,” Staff said in a Tuesday, February 18, interview with Atmore News. “I made up my mind about a week ago. I’ve been telling a few folks, and it’s out there now.”
Staff announced shortly after the 2020 municipal election — in which he successfully fended off challenges from former District 4 council rep Susan Smith and Ernie Digmon, a former counselor with the Escambia County Department of Human Resources — that the new term would be his last.
“I’ve been telling people that since right after the last election,” Staff said. “Everybody knows I wasn’t going to run again.”
The decision to give up the mayoral office will bring to an end a 36-year span of service to local government.
Staff is in his 13th year as mayor (terms for Alabama municipal office holders were extended a year after 2020 due to voter complaints). He served 12 years as District 5 representative on the city council immediately prior to assuming the mayor’s seat, and he earlier served 12 years on the county school board.
He recalled that he unofficially became mayor when former Mayor Howard Shell — who held office while Staff was a council member — appointed him as such.
“I’ve always tried to do what’s best for our community,” he said, reflecting on his years of service. “What made me want to run for mayor? Well, Howard Shell, who was mayor, wanted me to run for council, so I did and won. We had been riding around, and at the next council meeting, he stood up and said, ‘I just want to let you know that I’m going to retire, and Jim Staff is going to take my place’.”
Current District 4 Council Member Shawn Lassiter serves as Mayor Pro Tem and is legally next in line for the mayor’s office. Lassiter had not returned by Tuesday’s press deadline a Monday phone call seeking comment on the mayor’s decision.
City Clerk Becca Smith said if Lassiter accepts the move, the council will then look for someone to fill the District 4 vacancy.
“If the mayor doesn’t finish his term, the Mayor Pro Tem automatically steps up; we don’t need a council vote for that,” Smith explained, citing Alabama Code 11-43-42. “The council then has 60 days to name a replacement for, in this case, the District 4 rep. If Shawn refuses to take the mayor’s office, the council will have to appoint someone else from the council to become mayor, and the council would then have to vote on it.”
The next municipal election is set for August, with new terms beginning in November.
Staff said he had not told each of the five council members that he was taking an early exit, but he had let Lassiter know and he believes the second-term council member will accept the challenge.
“I’ve talked with Shawn, and I waited until May 31 so it would give him enough time to get all his ducks in a row, as far as his business,” the outgoing mayor said. “But he’s ready. He’s young and he has both feet on the ground.”
Smith, who has been in her position more than three decades, said working with Staff and the other members of his administration has been an honor and an inspiration.
“Working alongside Mayor Staff and his dedicated staff for the past 12 years has been an honor,” the city clerk said. “Their commitment to serving our community has been inspiring. I appreciate the team’s collaboration, hard work, and leadership, and I wish the mayor all the best in his future endeavors.”
Staff said a desire to spend more time with his family was the driving force behind the decision to end his role in city government. He wasn’t sure yet just how he would spend his spare time, but he quickly ruled out one possible pastime.
“Several people have told me I need to start fishing, but I don’t have enough patience for fishing,” he laughed.