By DAVE HAMRICK
Staff Writer

Fayetteville Mayor Mike Wheat was unusually relaxed as he settled behind his desk at City Hall on election eve.

For the first time in a dozen years, voters who went to the polls yesterday to choose two city councilmen and a new mayor didn't see Wheat's name on the ballot.

Far from being relieved or glad to be free of the election time jitters, Wheat seemed a little sad. “Actually I miss that,” he said. “That whole process is a lot of fun.”

His decision not to seek reelection this year was not motivated by any feeling of being “burned out,” or being tired of the hassles of public life, he said.

“I enjoy politics now,” he said, “but I don't ever want to be a professional politician. I don't think it was ever something that the founding fathers intended.

“I think that's a part of what's wrong with the national political scene,” added Wheat, who is a 23-year executive with IBM's telecommunications services. “Look at Bill Clinton. He has never done another thing in his life but be a politician. I don't think that's good.”

The terms of public office holders should be limited, Wheat said. And that's why he decided not to run again.

He got involved in the first place the same way many people in local government do. “Most people are happy living their everyday lives and relying on the local government to do a good job,” he said. “They get involved when something specific is going on that affects their property.”

Wheat represented his neighborhood when property nearby was being rezoned. “That got completely out of hand and I ended up running for City Council,” he said.

The Indiana native said when he leaves office in 60 days, he will look back on his nine years as mayor and two on City Council with satisfaction. “We have made great strides,” he said, his face lighting up with a quick smile.

“It's not just the physical things, though there are a lot of physical things you can see,” he said. Among accomplishments are a new City Hall, water plant, sewer plant and improvements to downtown areas through the Main Street program.

“Those are things you have to do to keep up with the growth in population,” he said. “Probably the most important thing is in terms of staff. The professionalism is dramatically higher than it was,” he said. “That's probably the biggest difference that I see.”

Aggressive training programs, the hiring of highly qualified people and long-term employees “growing in the job” have contributed to the city's strong staff, Wheat said.

He also takes great pleasure in strides the city has taken toward realizing a vision that he shares with other city leaders to keep an old-fashioned feel in Fayetteville even as the city moves into a new century, Wheat said.

“We had a nice dinner at the City Cafe during the Pumpkin Walk,” he said. “Then we walked around and looked at the pumpkins and all the people enjoying the atmosphere, and I thought, `That's perfect. That's exactly what Fayetteville is all about,'” he said.

Putting the new City Hall in a historic old school building, Fayette's first, was part of that vision, Wheat said. The city is seeking to establish its roots in the past while planning for the future, he said, and to create a place where people will have a sense of community.

“It's also been an objective to make the city government more open and responsive,” he said. “We try to always let people have their say. It's a challenge, the larger the city gets,” he added.

“But you know, people still call at 10:30 at night and say, `My water's brown.' They still think of calling their elected officials first,” he said.

Wheat's advice for the new mayor is simple. “The best thing the new mayor can do is partner with the council and work as a team with the council,” he said.

“We've been able to do it as a group for the last ten years,” he added. “It doesn't mean we always agree, but it means we always have the best for the city in mind. We agree to disagree, but it doesn't become personal.”

As he prepares to step down from the mayor's chair, Wheat is leaving the door open for future political activity, though he says he has nothing in particular in mind.

“Now that I really understand how local government works, I may get involved again in politics,” he said. “We'll see.”