'Keep Guyton on the right track': Mayor Deen driven to maintain Guyton's quality of life
As a child, Guyton native and Mayor Russ Deen rode his bike on nearly every street. Some days, he would ride an extra 2 miles to find the cheapest canned drinks in town. The extra effort was worth it to save a quarter.
Deen moved to Guyton when he was just 5 years old. He recalls the days when communities gathered for fun and in times of need.
“I've been to most of the churches here as a youth or as an adult for various ceremonies,” Deen said. “A lot of the houses in town belong to families that I knew and kids that I grew up with. Guyton is my home.”
As he approaches his second mayoral race, his campaign pitch remains the same: “Keep Guyton on the right track.”
“I'm running for council to continue the work of the last four years,” Deen said. “Effingham County is at a time of massive growth, which requires someone looking out for the citizens that already live here.”
Deen has two challengers in Andrew Harville and Michael Garvin. Deen and Garvin squared off in the election four years ago, where Deen won by just 17 votes.
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“With a three-person race for mayor, it all comes down to whose supporters make an effort to show up and vote,” Deen said. “It sounds simple, but the number of yard signs and handshakes mean nothing if (supporters) do not vote. If everyone votes, considering how much progress was made these past four years, I believe I’ll have the opportunity to serve as mayor again.”
According to Deen, in his tenure, property tax millage rates have been lowered four years in a row, the city has paved nearly 9 miles of roads, which is 35% of the city, the Guyton Police Department has received new equipment and residents have enjoyed new events such as Earth Festival Day, Trick or Trail and Tour of Churches.
Guyton was “at war with itself," Dean said about the city before he became mayor. A host of issues plagued the community, including the lack of law enforcement officers and limited water and sewer capacity.
“The power side of being mayor doesn't appeal to me,” Deen said. “The deciding factor for me was leaving church one night and realizing members of our church were leaving by themselves and if something would have happened to one of them because I wasn't willing to serve and stand up, and say we need a police department to make sure our city is safe, then that was my fault. It was not an option to do nothing.”
Deen said Guyton was in a state of rebuilding prior to his first term as mayor in 2020. With no city manager, city clerk and just one police officer, he rolled up his sleeves to bring the city back to life.
“We basically started from scratch, hiring staff and getting people trained and working on things like rebuilding our zoning, building and subdivision code,” Deen said. “We instituted a new city charter that brought us into the 21st century with a city manager council form of government that allows for the continuation of government, even after an election.
"We are blessed to have Meketa Brown as our city manager. When you have that stability, the functions of the city can continue regardless of the political sways that a city may face.”
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Deen dreams of fulfilling his goal of seeing a new recreation park come to life with outdoor activities fit for all ages. The city owns 26 acres across from Guyton Elementary School. Through SPLOST funds, grants and private donations from businesses in the area, Deen believes Guyton can build something that will benefit generations to come.
Deen is co-owner of Guyton Mini Storage, but his pet boarding company is one he holds close to his heart. Guyton Pet Lodge has been serving the town for nearly 20 years. After spending one day as a salesman for Progressive Insurance, Deen realized he wanted to join the family pet sitting business.
“I realized that I very much wanted to work for myself and enjoyed being able to build my own destiny,” Deen said. “My wife and I turned it into what it is today. We live here on site and I can't imagine it any other way. You’re selling peace of mind and responsibility because pets can't speak. All you can do is see how they act and the dogs who come here love it.”
Past client Tracy Kieffer said Deen’s family was there for her when she needed them the most.
“I had a medical emergency a couple years ago,” Kieffer said. “He took the dog and I had nothing to worry about. I thought that was a great trait about Russ that he likes to do for his clients. He will go above and beyond. My dog Sammy got everything he needed – playtime, grooming, he was fed and he received his medication, so there was nothing to worry about. It was a positive experience for our family.”
Should he lose the upcoming mayoral race, Deen said he would devote more time to charity work. But if he is elected for a second term, he looks forward to supporting locally-owned businesses and preserving small-town living in the midst of growth. Those two factors are what Deen says are important to Guyton’s quality of life.
“We have a quality of life here in Guyton that's not found all over our region and we need to work to preserve that while at the same time recognizing that with a Hyundai plant and other economic factors, this area and region will continue to grow,” Deen said. “Hiring and retaining good employees and providing guidance and planning with community feedback will allow us to preserve the city we know and love.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Guyton Mayor Russ Deen ready to run for second term
