LITTLE MOUNTAIN, SC (WIS) -
It's not called 'Big' for a reason. The town of Little Mountain is one blinking traffic light and 290-something citizens. There's only a handful of places to work, and Alfred Metts says that's okay with him.
"I'd like for 'em to leave us alone," said Metts. "We don't care about growing."
Metts has lived in Little Mountain for 73 years. He's seen plenty, but what has happened in his town over the past several months has been unprecedented.
No one ran for mayor in December, so voters wrote in two different candidates. However, both of them declined the position because their wives were ill.
So why does no on want to be the mayor of Little Mountain?
"You'll have to ask someone who knows more about it than me," said Metts.
So we headed down the street to the other side of the light. That's where we find tax specialist Jana Jayroe. She was on town council years ago.
"The former mayor has done so much work, and he has done a lot of really great things for the town, and when nobody wanted to step up, I said, 'I'll try it if you promise you'll help me,'" said Jayroe.
The previous mayor, who decided to retire, obtained thousands in grant money and managed income from the town. These are things Jayroe will soon take on.
Because of her job, she was hoping to start April 16, but says the attorney general's office says she is already in charge simply because she filed paperwork.
"Theoretically. I'm the mayor," said Jayroe. "We have a Mayor pro-tem, and right now, I'm just leaving everything to the Mayor pro-tem."
Jayroe says she's in once tax season is completed. Her goal is to recruit young families to town -- just maybe not a flood of them. After all, the town has a name to uphold.
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