As chief executive officer of a city, a mayor is responsible for the general welfare of the city. The duties are numerous, and the job requirements can be daunting to someone who doesn’t have the passion and understanding to do the job right.
Cayce Mayor, Elise Partin, has both, and more. Her passion for promoting public health, what she calls “taking a person or people from where they are to where they want to be,” drives her commitment to the office. Partin grew up in Charleston where her mother served as director of media relations under Mayor Joe Riley, who served for forty years.
As a young person, Partin grew up knowing that things like parks and sidewalks didn’t just happen; somebody thought those things out, had a vision, a plan, and enacted that plan. Riley’s time in office influenced Partin’s own career. In 2008, she was elected as the first female Mayor of Cayce. A Master’s degree in Public Health helped fine-tune her passion and understanding of leadership.
There have been notable improvements during her tenure. Cayce’s River Arts District, the original heart of the city, has eye-catching murals in vibrant colors, sculptures, and even an Art Lot. The downtown area is bike friendly and boasts new small businesses, and safe clean sidewalks for visiting them. Cayce’s location provides trailhead access to over 20 miles of trails along the river for people to walk, hike, or skateboard. Partin says, like an iceberg, visitors only see the results of the work. Below the surface is the work the city does to keep its employees safe, and to provide the right equipment for groups, like the sanitation team or firefighters, to execute their jobs safely. The city does so much unseen work, yet still has one of the lowest taxes and fees in the entire region.
Upon his retirement, Riley asked himself, “Is what we’re doing right now responding to the hearts of the people so that when done, the citizens will say, ‘This is wonderful.’”? Partin leads with the same goal, saying, “It’s about their voice. I love what happens at the local level, where we live. We can see a tangible positive difference in people’s lives. Do we have places where we can gather with friends and neighbors—in parks, or even in the local coffee shops? Do we feel safe? Is it beautiful? Can we enjoy the outdoors? All of those things matter.”
There is a reason why Partin has held her position in Cayce for 15 years. She cares for her constituents and loves her city.