City Commissioner Mary Thomas Mathis has announced her plans to run for re-election to the Plant City commission this year. She also hopes the commissioners will select her as mayor after current mayor Rick Lott’s term has expired.
“Because of my proven commitment, such as exemplary attendance at commission meetings, I want to continue to serve the people of Plant City, and I would appreciate your support, and more importantly, your vote,” Mathis said.
Mathis prides herself and her fellow commissioners on a number of projects she has spearheaded since she became a commissioner in 2000. One of these projects was the revamp and flood management in Samuel W. Cooper Park. Residents can now walk around the pond or go fishing, and community events are often held at the park.
“It’s a beautiful addition to the community,” Mathis said. “There was a time when I grew up that people could ride their boats down Laura (Street) … because of the flooding.”
Mathis served as mayor of Plant City from June 2013 to May 2014. The theme she established for her term was “Year of the Youth,” which sprung from her 37 years as an educator and seven years as assistant principal at Marshall Middle School.
During her year as mayor, Mathis made it a priority to celebrate the youth of Plant City. She invited local students who had excelled in academics and athletics to city commission meetings, where she presented proclamations to them.
“That was a way of bridging the schools and the city commission together,” she said.
Also while Mathis served as mayor, she dedicated the pond at Brewer Park and worked with the Hillsborough County Economic Development Corporation to attract new businesses to Plant City. Dart Container Corporation established its headquarters in town during her term and city employees received salary raises.
With her fellow commissioners, she has been involved in the processes of hiring three city managers, a police chief and a fire chief.
In addition to the citizens and employees of Plant City, Mathis thanks her husband, Tony Mathis, and parents for being her biggest supporters. “They were very supportive of my campaigns and things of that nature, and my education,” Mathis said. “With them, there was no question about me going to college.”
Mathis’ 2015 campaign is in honor of her mother, Emma Thomas, and in memory of her father, Willy Thomas, she said. Emma was an educator, and Willy owned a catering business. They were married for 64 years.