Page 194 - South Mississippi Living - August, 2017

THEFINALSAY BILLY
SKELLIE
former Mayor of Long Beach
photo courtesy of Billy Skellie
I’ve been involved with the City of Long Beach for 30 years — serving on the Planning Board for 12 years, Board of Aldermen for seven years, and as Mayor
for 13 years. I was honored to be a part of the city administration in the different capacities throughout my career in public service.
I knew four years ago that I would not seek a fourth term. I promised my wife that I would retire, to hopefully give us some time to relax, do more traveling, a lot more fishing and volunteering with the city and my church.
The hardest thing I faced as Mayor was the post Hurricane Katrina recovery, but in a sense it was also the most rewarding. To work with such a dedicated group of employees as the City Clerk, Fire and Police Departments,City Court Administration, and Public Works was incredible. I cannot say enough concerning their tireless efforts in the aftermath of the storm event.
As a team, we rebuilt all of the water, sewer and storm drains, along with road rebuilds for the area south of the CSX Railroad track. We rebuilt Jeff Davis Avenue, which is the core of our downtown business district, into an attractive area that’s much enjoyed by our residents and visitors alike. We built a new City Hall, a 361 Fire Station, a multiple-purpose building for seniors and youth, along with a 11⁄4-mile walking track, a Town Green, and a splash pad.
We also replaced two major bridges that were failing, along with a new signaled intersection at 28th Street and Klondyke Road. All of these projects were secured with grant monies, not directly costing local tax payers.
As Mayor, my main challenges were to keep the city functioning during such a disastrous time and to assure our employees they had jobs. Even with such financial challenges after the hurricane, we never furloughed any employees.
My Dad was Mayor of Long Beach when Hurricane Camille struck in 1969. I certainly gained some insight listening to him during the aftermath of Hurricane Camille and the challenges they had in recovery. Of course, I also had experience with storm recovery in my former career with Bell South Communication.
I would like to see the city continue to rebuild and develop in a smart growth atmosphere, with mixed-use zones and protection for our residential neighborhoods.
194 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • August 2017
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