Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms reflects on time in office

Mayor Toms says the job never defined him, and that he's okay with moving on from this time in his life.

WARNER ROBINS, Georgia (41NBC/WMGT) — Two terms, totaling eight years. To put that into perspective, that’s a little more than 2,900 days.

Warner Robins Mayor Randy Toms is leaving the office he’s known for that length of time. While it’s not the outcome he hoped for, he says the job never defined him, and he’s okay with moving on from this time in his life.

“If my wife, and my children, and my grandchildren are proud of me then that’s really what matters,” he said. “There’s a lot of people that’s proud of what’s been accomplished over the last eight years. So I’m just going to hang my hat on that.”

Mayor Toms says several accomplishments from his administration stood out to him.

One of them, the opening of the North Houston Sports Complex, which he says will help with the economic development and attract more people to the city.

Toms says his administration accomplished a lot with public safety by hiring more police officers, adding a new fire station, buying new fire trucks and lowering the ISO rating from a three to a two. He says they’ve also set the stage for downtown development.

“The overall team is an incredible team,” he said. “And I think we’re ready to see some downtown development. I don’t wish any ill for my city. I love my city. I want to see it grow.”

Mayor Toms says he does wish he would have been more vocal in correcting false information.

“Unfortunately that’s happened some in local media, especially printed media here in Houston County,” he said. “And it’s been a real shame the way that particular media source has treated the city of Warner Robins.”

“I know the saying very well that you don’t pick a fight with somebody that buys ink by the barrel,” he continued. “I never picked that fight. That fight was picked by them. So I wish I would have stood up a little bit more in that area.”

Toms says he’ll likely take some time to relax and enjoy being retired again.

He’s not sure what he’ll do after that, but he says God holds his future.

“There’s a couple things I’m looking at,” he said. “I guess I would take this opportunity to say that if somebody thinks I would fit well into their organization give me a call, because I’m looking for some other way to contribute in a meaningful way.”

Toms says he’s most thankful for the people he got to work with and that he’ll miss them the most.

“The relationships I’ve built, that I’ve strengthened over the last eight years, especially those that I never would have formed had I not been Mayor of the City of Warner Robins,” he said.

Toms also thanks the people of Warner Robins.

“For giving me the opportunity to serve you in my lifetime of service to this city, but especially for the last eight years,” he said. “It’s been a blessing to me and I’ll forever be grateful for my time.”

The swearing in ceremony for Mayor Toms’ successor, Mayor-Elect LaRhonda Patrick, is set f0r  January 3 at 5:30 p.m.