LINDA WERTHEIMER, HOST:
A recent story in the New York Times caught our eye about a small town in South Carolina with just one stoplight.
MAYOR BUDDY JOHNSON: Well, actually, it isn't a stoplight. It's actually a caution light.
WERTHEIMER: And that's a man who would know.
JOHNSON: I'm Buddy Johnson. I guess, in four or five days, I'll be the former mayor of the town of Little Mountain, South Carolina.
WERTHEIMER: Johnson has been the mayor of Little Mountain for 16 years and the town is very little, population 292. Mayor Johnson says he wants to spend some more time with his family and maybe do some traveling, so he's retiring and Little Mountain is looking around for a replacement. But in November's election, no one even wanted the job. And even though Johnson was not running, he still got 20 votes.
(LAUGHTER)
JOHNSON: Well, what can I say? I appreciate their vote of confidence. If no one comes forward in the next election, then they'll be another election. I guess we'll go through that until we get a mayor.
WERTHEIMER: And Johnson says the work is rewarding, whether organizing the local folk festival, keeping up the sidewalks or making sure that one caution light keeps blinking on and off. Transcript provided by NPR, Copyright NPR.
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