Thanks for a thankless job

Any with an eye for public office who says they won’t be changed by politics doesn’t know what’s in store for them.

You may hope to change things for the better, but there will be many, many people trying to beat you down. It’s only a matter of time before the claws come out.

Pat Thomas learned that quickly. He spent eight years as a commissioner from District 5 and had a front row seat to the reaction of the public to his predecessor, and the reaction of his predecessor to his critics.

And Thomas changed, which should not be construed as negative. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say he adapted.

It’s not natural to be under constant fire, but that’s been Thomas’s world since he assumed the mayor’s seat. It began with discussion of raising the city’s sales tax shortly after he took office and his detractors have simply moved from one complaint to another, abandoning the tax outrage when it became clear that the city of Dothan would be in dire straits without the foresight of Thomas and those commissioners who voted to levy the additional sales tax. Thomas quickly learned that trying to satisfy everyone is a fool’s errand, and he set out to do what he thought was best for the city of Dothan.

After all, that’s what representative government is about — the people elect someone to office, and that official acts on behalf of his constituency.

This editorial board has taken issue with Thomas on several matters during his tenure as mayor, but that hasn’t damped our respect for what he’s been able to accomplish in the face of constant adversity.

Because of the efforts of Thomas, and of outgoing District 1 Commissioner Larry Matthews, who shares the long view, Dothan’s long-neglected infrastructure has been addressed and our city has identified areas to improve over the next several years and established a means to pay for those projects.

Thank you for your service, gentlemen.