I received this release this morning:
Statement by Columbia City Councilman Cameron Runyan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEMost people don’t realize the Mayor of Columbia has no real executive authority. Under our current weak mayor system, city government is managed by committee, with no single elected official to hold accountable when things go wrong.
Recent events have made it clear that our city could greatly benefit from a strong mayor form of government with a chief executive empowered by and accountable to the people to get positive things done.
As Mayor Benjamin said last week, many of the current problems related to public safety could be dealt with swiftly and efficiently if our mayor had the authority to act. It’s time to let voters decide if they want to give him that authority and responsibility by switching to a strong mayor system.
As a member of Columbia City Council, I strongly urge my colleagues to take up this issue. And I urge them to do it soon. We owe it to the people of this great city.
Ultimately, the question is not whether you agree with having a strong mayor. The question is whether voters should be allowed to decide how their government can best work for them.
After all, it is a founding principle of America that government belongs to the people, not to those who are elected by the people. In keeping with the most noble traditions of our democratic system, we have an obligation to let the people be heard on this critical issue.
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Hey, I’m with you. Let’s have the referendum, and here’s hoping most people vote “yes” for change. This mushy, indirect form of government is not politically accountable.
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At this point, whatever Cameron or the majority of city council is for, I’m going to oppose out of self-preservation.
well, I’m with you on Cameron….
Cameron fancies himself to be Mayor Benjamin’s successor, once Rep. Clyburn retires and Mayor Benjamin moves into that job. Someone should do us all a favor and run against Cameron next time he’s up.
I really don’t know if a strong mayor system would make a difference, or make an improvement for us. Whether we are in a council/manager system or a strong mayor system, it all comes down to the people. If we elect good people, and they hire a decent, hardworking professional city manager, all will work smoothly. If we elect bad people or crooks, and they hire an incompetent or dishonest city manager, all will be crummy.
The current mayor (and the strong mayor system may start after he leaves) has a reputation for being vindictive towards his political enemies, or to those who oppose his agenda. Why would we want to give someone like that more authority?
Why are the voters of Columbia supposed to be any wiser than City Council when it comes to picking someone to administer the business of the city?
Most Columbia voters are sheep, asleep, or bought cheap.
Why are Columbia voters ignorant and apathetic? I don’t know and I don’t care.
rimshot!
I agree with Silence.
Most voters are low information, especially in city elections. I’d rather have the city run by seven people who have spent a lot of time learning to govern, than have some crackpot (cough Nikki Haley) get elected and drive the city into a ditch. I actually think the city runs pretty darn well for the most part. I know all y’all who live elsewhere disagree, but what you think of my city is none of my business.
Kathryn,
Objectively, the City of Columbia is not well run. If the City runs well most of the time, that’s more about municipal inertia and the doggedness of many of the workers to keep the wheels from falling off. If we are to speak of leadership, then the administration – Council included as a group – falls flat.
Only in comparison to Richland County does the City of Columbia look well run.
What specifically does not run well? I use/interact with a lot of city services, and they are sure run a lot better than Chicago circa 1985….
Speaking of running a city smoothly or poorly, Joe Azar’s suit against the city for siphoning off the water sewer revenues is being heard today at 9 AM, in the courthouse on Main Street. Go Joe!
Council, the city management, the police department, sometimes the fire department, “economic development”, planning – that’s a good start.
Economic development has indeed been poor. There’s a new guy coming to replace Gambrell. The city PR department could use a major upgrade, too.
The police do good work. Crime is way down.
Not very specific….
What, you want me to name names? To what end? I’m not sure I would be the one to ask anyway.
Because you made the sort of general disparagement that is all too common, and not constructive. I think a lot of the city’s “issues” are common everywhere and that it has more of a PR problem than an actual one. A prominent urban planning professor toured our fair city, and wondered why we thought we have a problem…..
Actually, I stated which departments, in my personal and professional opinion, do not rise to the level of other municipalities in other states. This may be an acceptable state of affairs to those who live in Columbia /Richalnd/Lexington, but I do not believe it would be much tolerated in many locales. Not saying Columbia is at the bottom of the rankings, as is so often the case with SC when comparing the various states, but that doesn’t mean anyone should be accepting of the city’s middling performance.
If a prominent urban planner came to town and wondered why we feel we have a problem, my first thought was that they had been seduced by the southern charm and cloak and dagger nature of the issues – Beguiled.
By way of full disclosure, first, I am in favor of a strong mayor system of government in the City of Columbia. Henry Ford so aptly put it, “If you always do what you’ve always done, you’ll always get what you’ve always got.” Secondly, I believe Mayor Benjamin’s ability to provide real leadership has been stifled by the current system of government. These are my disclaimers.
In my personal response to Councilman Runyon’s email I pointed out that fundamental change to any organization, be it City Council, or revisions to the bylaws of a non-profit organization, should never be undertaken because of a specific set of circumstances or an individual. Those changes should be made with an eye to the longer term implications in the future.
That said…
Councilman Runyon’s point as I read it, is simply that the people should decide between the current strong council system and a strong mayor system; that the decision should not be left to the members of City Council. Columbia City Council has long avoided putting this issue before the voters and I think Councilman Runyon is on target in holding his colleagues’ feet to the fire on an issue, the foundation of which, is rooted in true democracy.
Why are Columbia voters ignorant and apathetic? Possibly because they don’t believe their vote makes a difference (think Richland County). That’s still immaterial to Councilman Runyon’s central point.
As for Councilman Runyon’s political aspirations, that’s to be expected in politicians but it’s still immaterial to his central point.
It would take a lot to convince me that the City of Columbia’s execution of the responsibilities of government is not dysfunctional. At the very least, it leaves a lot of room for improvement. And, that’s still immaterial to Councilman Runyon’s central point.
So why not put it to the voters? Because the masses are asses? If so, I consider that to be acceptable collateral damage in return for democracy.
Call it cliché, but I think Henry Ford’s point is well taken when it comes to the City of Columbia.
Dave Almeida
[email protected]
803-546-6379
Teresea Wilson runs this city, which she said at the back-handed slap in a press release to of Steve Benjamin with her handling of NAACP South Carolina chapter president, Lonnie Randolf. Against my wife’s wishes, I sent an email to Ms, Wilson and cc’ed Mr Benjamin about directing some CPD resources at the intersection of Laurel and Huger since may drivers ignore the “Left Turn Yield on Green”
Going which way?