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Janice Patterson, a long-time resident of Mosses, has declared her intention to run for mayor of the small Lowndes County town she has called home for 26 years.

Having served on the town council since 2020, Patterson said she is already well-versed with the needs of the community and felt inspired to run for the office by the desire to see resident’s vision for their hometown come to fruition.

“I ran for the town council seat back in 2020 and I’ve been in that position for the last five years,” Patterson said. “It’s time for a change. I thought the administration that was put in place in 2020 was going to grow upon what was already in place, but the mayor really didn’t see things the way it should have been for the people of the community.”

A native of New Jersey, Patterson relocated her life to Mosses, the area where her husband George grew up, in 1999. She has taken an active role in community life and since her election to the town council, she has missed only one meeting of the group.

“That’s the only way that our small town can prosper,” she said. “If we know what’s going on we can tap into resources.”

Patterson is an active part of the Lowndes County Area Chamber of Commerce and the Black Mayors Association. She also regularly attends Mosses Water Board meetings and Lowndes County Commission meetings.

The Pattersons have helped beautify their town, cutting grass on the square for about two years. She retired from her career as a patient registration specialist with HSI Health Services in 2020, but continued partnering with the group to hold health clinics for area residents.

If elected as mayor, Patterson hopes to continue improvement efforts, starting with the town’s currently unfinished public park.

“I would work to complete the park,” Patterson said. “The park was dedicated in 2019 but not completed. A lot of people utilize the park but often the building is locked so they can’t get in to use the restroom. It’s a beautiful park, it’s just not complete.

“There’s a lot of people needing help with various things, like transportation to doctor’s offices. And, the town needs a face lift. The county takes care of the grass cutting, but it just doesn’t stay nice and neat. I would love to see the beautification of Mosses get back on track.”