For two decades Thomas R. Stanton has served as mayor of Wheatland. After deciding not to seek re-election in last week’s election, he’s serving out his last months as the ceremonial figurehead of the small borough’s government.

“It’s an odd occupation,” the 77-year-old Stanton said with a mischievous smile recently in the living room of his Kedron Street home.

Stanton knows a thing or two about Mercer County politics. Before he became mayor in 1990 he served a stint on borough council and before that he served as chairman of the zoning hearing board. A couple decades before that he served on Farrell Area School Board – that was in the 1950s when he was attending what was is now Youngstown State University.

Those are just the elected offices Stanton’s held – he’s also been a member of most of Mercer County’s civic improvement organizations since he retired from the Army in 1980.

He’s not being boastful when he says he’s accomplished a lot for the town he’s called home since he was in elementary school.

“I’ve got Wheatland quite a bit,” in grant money, he said. “If I could throw down a challenge to anybody, let them try to match it.”

He joined the county’s many municipal organizations, planning groups and committees so he could get outside cash to help out the borough of less than 750 people.

“I figured the only way I could help Wheatland was from outside,” Stanton said.

So he’s lobbied the Mercer County commissioners and state politicians, he’s attended thousands of meetings and worked with dozens of people to find ways to help the town.

“I attribute that to having a lot of B.S.,” Stanton said of his ability to chit-chat and schmooze with colleagues from other areas.

He was able to talk county commissioners into approving $300,000 in grant money so the borough could build a new sewage pump station.

The money, from the federal Community Development Block Grant program that’s divvied up by the county, was awarded to Wheatland after lobbying to higher powers than politicians.

“I took a preacher over and I asked the preacher to pray so we could get the money,” Stanton said.

He doesn’t remember the pastor’s full name but said “he wore bright pants and played basketball.”

“We prayed Wheatland would get the money and we got all of it that year,” he said.