Aragon Mayor Burrus dead at 59
Longtime Aragon city council member and acting mayor Curtis Burrus, 59, passed away Thursday night, according a brief statement.
City clerk Sandy Norman sent the following to the Standard Journal on the afternoon of Aug. 19.
“The City of Aragon is saddened to announce the passing of Mayor Curtis Burrus. Curtis passed away suddenly last night. We ask you to please respect the family’s privacy at this time.”
The city will be closed on Thursday, Aug. 25 as a day of remembrance for Burrus.
No funeral services are expected to be held, according to the city. No cause of death was released.
Following the death of Mayor Brenda Gazaway in June, Burrus served as acting mayor after serving for 8 years on the council, first voted on the council to serve in the November 2007 election, winning against Burney Collins in a special election held that year for the seat.
Burrus also ran in 2005 for a council seat against Billy Weaver in an attempt to join the council.
In the 2015 race, Burrus ran and retained his seat on the council without any opposition. He was voted as the pro tem for a new term at the beginning of the year, and filled in for Gazaway during the April and May meetings of the city council as mayor.
He was an employee of the Georgia Department of Transportation as well, having begun working as a road employee in 2005.
Burrus was a graduate of Cooper High School in 1975 in Cooper, Texas.
He was running to retain the seat of Mayor in November’s special election.
Council member Duel Mitchell will now serve as acting mayor since he took over the pro tem spot from Burrus in the July meeting.
He and Tammy Mulkey remain the only two members left to hold meetings.