Gary Thrower

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga. – Milledgeville Mayor Gary L. Thrower has decided to seek re-election as the city’s top elected official.

Currently Thrower is serving out the unexpired term of former mayor Richard Bentley, who resigned two years ago. Thrower turned back a special election runoff challenge from Floyd L. Griffin to win election to public office for the first time.

Thrower told The Union-Recorder Thursday afternoon that he plans to officially qualify for re-election sometime this week.

One of the challenges that has confronted him since winning election as mayor is the public’s perception of the office.

“People assume that I can go to City Hall and turn things around, and I really don’t have that authority,” Thrower said. “People call me a lot, and I try not to diminish the office.”

Oftentimes, Thrower said he just tells the caller to let him see what he can do if someone expresses that they have some type of problem related to city government.

“I have to decide whether or not I need to pick up the phone and call Barry (Jarrett, city manager), or one of the council members and see whether we can possibly do something about a certain problem someone may have who has called me,” Thrower said.

Thrower said he has come to know and greatly respect so many others that have leadership roles in city government.

“We have come to be more comfortable with each other — Council members, city manager and others who work at City Hall, including department heads,” Thrower said. “I think there might have been a point in time when eyebrows were raised and people were a little standoffish about who is this guy and what does he think — let me show him a lesson or whatever.”

Thrower said during those times, he simply took it all in stride and that he wasn’t going to come into office and change Rome, so to speak, in a day.

“It seems to be working pretty well,” said Thrower, a local longtime businessman and graduate of Georgia College, who grew up and was raised in the city he now helps govern. “As far as I’m concerned, I try to treat all people the way I’d want to be treated, and I don’t try to come into any situation with any air because I’m, quote unquote, mayor. We’re all in this together. We’re a team. And I’ve got a role to play.”

The mayor pointed out that he always tries to do his homework and research before making a decision.

“I think that bodes well for me,” Thrower said. “But then that consistent thing is critical. I don’t want to be all over the map.”

One of the projects he currently finds himself involved with in city government is improving city code enforcement.

“I believe if we could do a better job with code enforcement that we would eliminate some of the problems with people downtown that have full-time residences and have to live in that same world with college kids,” Thrower said. “Right now that’s our economic driver. My thought was, and is, that I want them here in our community, but I want to maintain Milledgeville’s integrity. I want to say this is our town, thank you for coming and we welcome you, but take care of it while you are here — things of that nature.”

He plans to look into the matter further with officials in Athens-Clarke County.

“I think they’ve mastered it (code enforcement) in Athens,” Thrower said. “We need to be prepared and ready to adapt to changes if the college here grows, etc.”

Thrower said he is also advocating for a new parking deck downtown, as well as a new public safety building.

“We talked about the need for a new parking deck and a new public safety complex for the past two years during our city government retreats,” Thrower said. “These are two things I’d like to see us do within the next four years.”

Asked whether or not serving in public office had changed him from the person he used to be when he was merely a local businessman, Thrower was quick to respond.

“It’s a source of pride to think that people in Milledgeville had enough confidence in me to elect me,” Thrower said. “I want to make sure that I do the best job that I can to pay them back for their respect toward me.”

He said when he first became the mayor that people could still reach him by cellphone and that such hasn’t changed.

“My cellphone is on the website,” Thrower said. “When people call, I understand their concerns. Sometimes I can help and them and sometimes I can’t. Sometimes I don’t have the authority because it’s in the jurisdiction of the county or whatever. But I still listen to them and talk to them. I pay them the respect by listening to them because they want to talk to someone who’ll listen to them. People need to listen to others. I think a lot of times the world might be much better off if people did a lot more listening and much less talking.” 

He said he hopes Milledgeville and Baldwin County continues growing and that new jobs can be created locally.

“I would like to see us get one or more big companies to locate in our new mega industrial park,” Thrower said. “I want us all to work together over the next few years to create as many new jobs as possible for this community.”