WALLS, MS (abc24.com) - History has been made in Walls, Mississippi. The small town elected its first female mayor.
ABC 24's Shelley Orman reports this is not the first time Lynda Austin has been a part of history.
"I don't think of it so much as a first woman, I don't think of it that way, I just think of it as I'm here and trying to do my duty," Austin told abc24.com.
But Mayor Lynda Austin has a history of being first. In 1985, she was elected Walls' first female alderman, a position she's held since then.
In her professional career Austin was a compliance officer with Merryl Lynch. "I was the first woman in that position," she said.
Austin made history in February when she was appointed mayor, after Gene Alday was elected to the state legislature.
"I'm just happy that I'm able to step in."
Now that she's in charge, Austin says a big priority is attracting new business.
"We don't have any restaurants here in Walls, and that's something we sorely need."
Since they can't go out, she wants to host the town's business leaders at city hall to talk ideas over breakfast or lunch.
"I'm not volunteering to cook it, but I might serve it," she joked.
Austin says ultimately, it's not a matter of being male or female, "I want to do a good job and be thought of as a good mayor."
She'll finish her term until June 2013, but isn't going to run for re-election.
"It was 1985 when I was first elected as alderman, so from then until 2013, that's long enough for anyone," Austin said.
She plans to stay active in town though, so this may not be the last of Austin's firsts.
