Tyler Ramsbey has been doing a great job with the Blue Light Podcast for quite some time now. This last week he did an interview with Garretson Mayor Greg Beaner. We at the Gazette felt that this podcast interview should be transcribed and shared with our readers. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Tyler Ramsbey: I’m sitting here with the mayor of Garretson, SD, Greg Beaner. Let’s start with the classic elevator question- if you only had a few minutes to introduce yourself, who is Greg Beaner?
Garretson Mayor Greg Beaner: My wife and I are going to celebrate our 28th anniversary and I’m a father. I’ve been a flight paramedic for twenty-five years, we’ve lived in Garretson for 20 years, and I volunteer my time- I do the yard care and snow removal at St. Rose, and my wife and I volunteer at the Banquet.
Ramsbey: And you do martial arts as well?
Beaner: I’m a second-degree black belt, I’m going to test at Christmas time for my 3rd degree. You have to do a weapons form, you have to do sparring, board breaks, and additional form.
Ramsbey: You’re the mayor of Garretson, how long have you been mayor?
Beaner: About a year and a half. It’s actually gone really quick. I can’t believe how fast.
Ramsbey: Why did you want to be mayor? Most people, one of their goals is not to be the mayor of a small town because often that comes with a lot of drama and you don’t actually get paid a whole lot.
Beaner: Tim [Mullin] had decided he was going to step down as mayor, and I respected him a lot- he did a great job. He said, “You know, you have a lot of experience and I would like to encourage you to run.” You kind of doubt yourself. I thought about it, I prayed about it and it’s like, I have a lot of experience and I should put that to use.
Ramsbey: What is your experience with the city?
Beaner: I’ve been on city council- it was about 18 years, and served under some great mayors. I kind of knew how the system worked, knew the employees very well.
Ramsbey: You knew the strengths, you knew some of the weaknesses, and you knew how to care for the city and its employees and how to be a leader. Let’s talk about leadership. How would you define what it means to be a leader?
Beaner: The leaders I respect the most are the folks who lead by example. So, if you expect somebody to do something then you better be willing to do it- or do it yourself. I’m a public servant and I’m here to serve you guys. A little humility in our society would go a long way.
Ramsbey: You’re not a mayor to lift yourself up, but to lift up the community.
Beaner: Right. I want to do what’s right for the community. And I think our city council members all have the same feeling too. We have a strong city council and I’m proud of them.
Ramsbey: Garretson’s like 1200 people or so. What does a mayor of a small town do?
Beaner: There’s no rules so you kind of write your own game plan. I believe in open communication. I do a weekly update with the city council so that we’re all on the same page. I’m in charge of facilitating meetings. The mayor doesn’t actually have much power (unless there’s a tie vote).
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