RINCON —  James Dasher’s body will soon join his mind on a 29-acre piece of Midland Road property that has consumed his thoughts for months.

Dasher resigned from the Rincon City Council on Sept. 30 because he intends to build a house on the parcel that is outside the city limits. He was in the middle of his third term.

“I was going to build like a weekend retreat out there and stay in Rincon and serve this term out,” Dasher said, “but I got to just looking at life in general and decided to go ahead and get my property ready and move out there. It puts me six miles away from my grandbabies and I just felt like it was time to give somebody else a shot at (serving on the council).

“Instead of waiting three more years, I decided now was the best time to do it.”

In his resignation letter to the council, Dasher said, “After long contemplation and much thought, it is with a lot of emotion and a heavy heart that I feel it is time for me to step away from public service and resign my position as a Rincon City Councilman. I am currently in my 17th year as an elected official. Eight years on the (Effingham County) board of education and in my ninth year on City Council.

“Our Mayor, Council and administrative staff has strong leadership today and with the next municipal election being more than a year away, I feel that now is a good time for me to step aside and allow someone else to come on and work with a seasoned mayor and council and gain experience before the next election.

“Thank you to the Rincon employees. Y’all work hard to make Rincon the great place that it is today and I sincerely appreciate each and every one of you.

“The resignation is effective September 30, 2020.

“Sincerely, James W. Dasher.”

Dasher elaborated on his appreciation for the opportunity to serve during a Friday phone interview with the Herald.

“It’s like whenever you make something, the things of importance are the things you put first in the ingredients,” he said. “First of all, I thanked the voters for their confidence for putting me in this seat. Next I thanked the city employees because they are the unsung heroes for keeping the day-to-day operation in check. I also thanked the mayor and council for being able to serve with them.

“I can’t say enough about the city employees because they do a lot with a little. We are that city without a city tax so we don’t pay them what they are worth. They come to work day-in and day-out and they do a fabulous job.”

Dasher expects to remain active in Effingham County affairs even though it won’t be in a governmental role.

“I was a PTA president for four years, on the board of education for eight years and on the city council for nine years,” he said. “Man, I’ve been doing community service all my adult life and I don’t see it ending. I just felt like it was a good time for my next assignment and I don’t know what that is yet.”