In the middle of the office, a box of T-shirts emblazoned with the mayor’s name sits waiting to be distributed before his term is up.

Even the dog bed in the corner, where Buster the boxer has spent much of the last eight years lounging, is empty.

But don’t tell outgoing Natchez Mayor Larry L. &uot;Butch&uot; Brown he’s a &uot;lame duck.&uot;

&uot;I’m committed to wrapping up as much as I can before I leave,&uot; Brown said. &uot;I don’t think anybody would call me a lame duck mayor.&uot;

Brown lost his bid for a third term to challenger F.L. &uot;Hank&uot; Smith in last month’s Democratic primary runoff.

Smith, along with new city clerk Donnie Holloway and new Ward 2 alderman James &uot;Ricky&uot; Gray, takes office with other re-elected city officials July 1.

Brown said he’s willing to help the new administration with its transition into office, but he won’t force his opinion on anyone.

&uot;If there’s a request for assistance, we’ll be there to assist,&uot; he said. &uot;I want to help this town, and I will help the new administration.&uot;

Running a city

Brown remembers what the transition was like when he first took over the mayor’s office eight years ago.

He faced a nervous group of department heads who weren’t sure what would be asked of them. One of Brown’s first requests was that each department head get at least one grant a year and that each department head host a conference of their peers in the city each year.

&uot;When I told them they would have to get grants, they said, ‘That’s not my job,’&uot; Brown said.

But as department heads realized what that grant money could do for their departments and for the city, the search for grants became almost a competition for them.

&uot;It not only helped the city, it helped give them confidence,&uot; Brown said. &uot;And hosting the conventions of their peer groups pumped them up, gave them self-esteem. And the grants kept coming. That’s what we did to build their enthusiasm.&uot;

Brown said his administration worked to provide city departments with everything they needed.

&uot;I’m pleased that every department head has everything they ever wanted for their departments — computers, new pistols, laptops, bullet proof vests,&uot; he said. &uot;I don’t set their limits. They do.&uot;

Besides managing city departments, Brown also had to learn how to cooperate with aldermen.

&uot;I had never worked with a board before,&uot;&160;Brown said. &uot;I was an independent businessman. I was having to recognize other opinions and work with those other opinions.&uot;

Brown said he is proud of the consensus building that resulted on the board.

&uot;People who call me ‘Nazi’ and ‘Hitler’ don’t realize I didn’t even have a vote,&uot; Brown said, referring to comments in a candidates’ forum this year from mayoral opponent John &uot;Pulleybone&uot; Pullen. &uot;Dictators don’t have to have consensus.&uot;

Accomplishments

From reinforcing the bluffs to establishing a foundation for a downtown convention center, Brown’s administration has been busy the past eight years.

Many projects — such as the bluff work and the building of the Natchez Visitor Reception Center — were almost entirely the result of state and federal grants.

Grants have also helped develop projects for low-income housing, such as Brumfield Apartments, located in an old school, and Oak Towers, located in an old hospital.

Critics have questioned the city’s borrowing $12 million for the convention center complex — a project that involves restoring two existing buildings and building a new downtown convention center.

But Brown has defended the city’s finances, pointing to Natchez’s &uot;A&uot; bond rating from financial institution Standard and Poor’s and the fact that the city has operated in the black each year.

Beyond the &uot;brick and mortar,&uot; Brown said one of the things he is most proud of is the work his administration has done to clean up neighborhoods and improve housing.

&uot;The quality of life package, ordinance-wise, has the longest impact — the sign ordinance, cleaning up abandoned vehicles, cleaning up neighborhoods,&uot; Brown said. &uot;I still get requests for copies of that (ordinance package) from all over America.&uot;

Using the theory that &uot;dirty people don’t like clean neighborhoods,&uot; Brown’s administration passed or strengthened ordinances such as those regarding the size of signs and billboards, the height of grass on private property and a ban on abandoned vehicles.

Not that those ordinances haven’t had their critics. Brown is matter-of-fact about the opposition.

&uot;Those people who have had those oppositions are largely those who were violators or who were directly affected by those ordinances,&uot; Brown said.

Missing the job

While criticism couldn’t have been the most enjoyable part of Brown’s job as mayor, he said he will miss the daily challenge of running a city.

&uot;It’s obviously easier to manage the needs of a business than the needs of a city,&uot; said Brown. &uot;But there’s a sense of pride, a sense of achievement that comes with this job. Everyone likes to win. And this city has been a true winner.&uot;

What’s next

Although he won’t be presiding over any board of aldermen meetings, Brown said he still plans to be active in the city and in politics. He said he became active in the Democratic party as soon as he came home from college.

&uot;I’m going to do anything and everything I can do to enhance job opportunities and growth for this community,&uot; Brown said. &uot;I still think higher education is one of the cleanest industries we’ve got.&uot;

In looking at economic development opportunities for Natchez, Brown said the city’s neighbors, from surrounding counties to &uot;West Natchez&uot; across the river should not be counted out. He compared the area to northeast Mississippi, which has garnered a lot of attention for its public-private economic development partnership.

&uot;When people talk about Tupelo’s success, they need to remember that data is for three cities,&uot; he said. &uot;The three-county area of Natchez is just as exciting and just as vibrant as Tupelo.&uot;

But Brown has a private life he can now devote more time to — from his business dealings to his family.

&uot;I’ll be getting back into my own personal business a little bigger and better,&uot; said Brown, who owns the warehouse firm Riverside Central Services.

&uot;My nickname is ‘deal-a-day Brown,’&uot; said the man who’s been involved over the years in everything from real estate to timber, manufacturing to banking.

But the time away from city hall will also give Brown some time to relax. &uot;I’m going to play a lot more,&uot; he said with a grin.