CASA — Residents of Casa can probably count on new Mayor Gary Rainey to stick with the job; he spent 45 years in his first career.
Rainey, 62, dropped out of Joe T. Robinson High School in Little Rock and earned his GED when he was 18.
“I’ve always been interested in construction, so I just went into plumbing. I had friends who were plumbers,” he said.
Rainey, who spent several years of his childhood living in Casa, went to plumbing school in North Little Rock and started his career at 17.
He and his wife, Loyra, moved to Perryville after his father died in 1983, then to Aplin and to Texas, where he was a welder and plumber. The couple moved back to Casa 26 years ago, he said.
Longtime Casa Mayor Allen Harris died in January 2018, and Stanley Wagner stepped in to fill the role and could not run for re-election.
“Because of our water system and all, and being a plumber, I thought, ‘Maybe I can help with that,’” Rainey said.
He defeated Betty Brixey, the daughter of former Mayor Harris, 39 votes to 27 votes.
He said he campaigned on “just trying to grow Casa and help with the water system and keep it flowing and going.”
“I listened to the people and what they were talking about and everything, and I told them if it’s possible to try, we’re going to try,” Rainey said. “It’s all our town, and we’ve got to work together. I said, ‘I’m just an errand boy. Y’all tell me what you want.’”
The community’s water system went for years without an upgrade, but work has been done on it, he said — “looks and quality of water both.”
“Right now, we have the funds for that, so we’re doing what we can,” Rainey said. “That’s going in steps. … We’re still working on it.
“I don’t see it running over $20,000 [to upgrade it].”
Rainey credited Harris with obtaining a grant for “a city park, a fun park,” which has basketball goals, playground equipment and pavilions.
“I’d love to get a grant to get a community safe room,” Rainey said. Another of his goals is to construct a community building for the public.
Rainey said Casa has slabs and buildings available for businesses.
“We would love to have a dollar store. We’ve got enough people,” he said. “I love [Casa] now. When I was a kid, it was bigger than it is now.”
He said the population is listed at 202, but there are 524 customers on the Casa Water Facility.
“It’s time to grow,” Rainey said. “All small towns — they dry up and blow away. We don’t want Casa to do that.”
Students in Casa attend the Two Rivers School District, he said.
“The strength of Casa is the people because they’re really good people,” Rainey said. “They’re wanting to go forward with any ideas anybody has.”
He and his wife live in the middle of the town, and their daughter, Ashley Rainey, lives next door. The mayor and his wife also have a son, Cody Rainey. He and his wife, Tori, have a daughter, Kora Rainey.
Gary Rainey said Loyra has been his inspiration.
“Everything I have ever gone for or done, she’s stood behind me, encouraged me. She’s the reason where I’m at now. She started working on me 36 years ago, and she’s still having to work on me,” he said, laughing.
“I’m excited for him,” Loyra said. “I really am. He doesn’t like to show it, but I’m going to tell you the truth: He has such a good heart. He has a passion for helping people.”
She said her husband wants to build up more pride in their small community.
In addition to his knowledge of the water system, Loyra said, Gary’s strength is his character.
“He doesn’t mind being honest with people,” she said. “He thinks if you’re going to do for one, you do for all. I think he’ll be fair.
“He’s a listener — he’s a talker, too, but he pays attention to what he hears. A lot of times, people aren’t heard like they should be. That’s one of his main strengths. It doesn’t matter who it is; he’s going to listen to them and do what he can within his limits.”
The new mayor plans to stick with his job as long as residents will have him and his health permits him to continue.
“It took me 45 years to decide I didn’t want to be a plumber,” he said.
Senior writer Tammy Keith can be reached at (501) 327-0370 or tkeith@arkansasonline.com.