News

Mills River council appoints Davis to complete Austin's term

By Lightning Reports, Published: March 4, 2024

MILLS RIVER — Following the resignation of Mayor pro tem Randy Austin last Thursday, the Mills River Town Council appointed Chae Davis, a former council member and mayor, to serve the rest of his term, which expires in December.

Elected in 2019, Austin was an at-large member of the board. His original term was set to expire in December of 2023; however, the state Legislature last year moved municipal elections in Henderson County from odd to even numbered years beginning this year, extending the terms of incumbents by one year.

"When I ran for council in 2019, I committed to serving a four-year term on the Board, and I am proud of the work we accomplished during that timeframe,” he said. Among Austin's notable achievements were leading the council's move to establish stricter architectural design standards and to create a farmland preservation program, the town said in a news release.

Councilman Jeff Young was selected to assume the office of mayor pro tem. Upon his nomination, Young reminded the Board he was an appointed member of the Board (he was appointed in 2022 to fulfill a vacancy left by a prior resignation) and “was humbled by the nomination and honored to serve in that role.”
The final order of business was the appointment of Davis, who served as mayor from 2017 to 2021, to serve until December.

“I truly enjoyed my previous time serving and look forward to making a positive impact,” she said.