Mayor Mayer starts term at helm in Uniontown

Joyce Mayer was sworn in early January as Uniontown’s new mayor.

The mayor Mayer has sat on the council for the past year and decided to run when former mayor Dave Smith stepped down after eight years.

“For me, I figured if no one is going to run, I’ll try it,” Mayer said in an interview with the Gazette Jan. 11.

Mayer is looking to stay the path with the construction to stop the leaks of the city’s wastewater lagoons, keep city finances steady and encourage more people to visit council meetings.

Uniontown has approximately 350 residents.

“I go through so many small towns and the windows are dark and businesses are closed. I’m just praying that won’t happen here,” she said.

This isn’t the first time Mayer has dabbled in city affairs. She had a hand in the creation of Uniontown’s well-known flea market and also serves as church sacristant at St. Boniface church. She was also on city council for four years in the early 2000s.

Mayer and her husband Joe, both retired, live on the south side of Uniontown. They and their six children moved there in 1987 from Spokane, when Joe became Uniontown postmaster.

Mayer said she mostly stayed at home raising the kids for those first years. All six children graduated from Colton High School.

Aside from her civic duty, Mayer is still nursing a tiny floral business out of her home.

A florist for more than 40 years, Mayer said she still draws a deep fulfillment in trimming, selecting, and matching flowers to orders.

“I really love this. Why did I stop? Then I think, ‘Because you had six kids, lady,’” she said.

Mayer said she now has the time to devote to her position as mayor and is looking forward to the coming year.

Former mayor Smith led the way for Uniontown for the past eight years.

In a brief interview with the Gazette Jan. 11, Smith said he was leaving his position because his two children are growing up, and he wants to spend that time with them.

“It was time to give up the other jobs and spend a little more time with my kids,” Smith said.

During his eight years, he helped a project for a second city well and oversaw the consolidation of Uniontown’s fire department with Rural Fire District 14. He was also part of the effort for the city to get a new city shop.

Smith said he won’t miss people seeking him out in his private time to talk about city business, but he will miss being on the foremost front of city affairs.

“It’s a great place to live because of the community. That’s what’s really nice,” Smith said.