Fisher presented with proclamation, flag

At the final Board of Aldermen meeting of Mayor Phil Fisher (front right) before his retirement, District 56 State Representative Clay Mansell (front left) presented Fisher with a proclamation from the Mississippi House of Representatives and with a flag flown over the Mississippi Capitol. Pictured (l to r) in the back row are Ward 2 Alderman Jim Martin (outgoing), Ward 1 Alderwoman Karen Godfrey, incoming Alderman at Large Robert Chapman, Ward 5 Alderwoman Beverly Oliver and Ward 4 Alderman Chip Wilbanks.

Fisher: No second thoughts about not running again

By Randy Bell

After Phil Fisher announced last year that he wouldn’t seek reelection to a fourth term as Clinton’s mayor, he admits he wondered if he would have regrets at some point.

“I thought I might,” Fisher said, as he prepared to bang the gavel one final time at the June 17 Board of Aldermen meeting. But those second thoughts never materialized, and the outgoing mayor says he is satisfied with his decision.

“Even as I’ve approached toward the end, I continued to think what would I do in the next four years? And, as I said when I announced [plans to retire], I’ve done everything I wanted to do. I leave at peace that I’ve done my best. I’m afraid that, if I had run, it would have been a long four years.”

Fisher believes Clinton will benefit from having a younger mayor.

“We need to have younger people coming into the city, and you don’t need to have an old guy trying to figure out what the younger people want,” said Fisher. “You need a younger guy in there knowing what that generation and the generation behind it – maybe two – want so [the City] can start preparing for that and anticipating that.”
Fisher’s final day in office was June 30.