COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) -
Columbia city councilman Moe Baddourah on Tuesday announced his candidacy for mayor, becoming the first person to officially mount a challenge against Steve Benjamin.
Baddourah, a 34-year Columbia resident and business owner, believes his business background gives him the experience necessary to lead city government.
"Business experience is a much-needed commodity in government," said Baddourah, who is serving his first term on council. "Business people often have unique insights, particularly on economic development and on issues facing the business community. And I think business people also bring common sense and innovative problems solving abilities to the table.
"Besides, it's been more than thirty years since a business person served as Columbia's Mayor," he added.
Incumbent Steve Benjamin became Columbia's first African-American mayor in April 2010, beating then-city Councilman Kirkman Finlay III.
Baddourah said the biggest contrast between himself and Benjamin can be found in their approaches to public service.
"My philosophy is simple: I believe public service should be about serving the community and improving the lives of ordinary citizens," he said. "The people's interests aren't well-served when politicians award important jobs to friends or create new government positions for campaign workers."
Citing Benjamin's hiring of two campaign aides to new city positions after his election, Baddourah said city leaders need to rise above "politics as usual."
Baddourah said the Mayor's Office could use a dose of "a business person's common sense," and the city must rediscover the notion of setting priorities. He cited the mayor's recent proposal to increase the city manager's salary to $190,000 a year. Baddourah was one of two Council members to vote against the contract.
"To me, it sends the wrong message to give such an excessive pay increase to a city administrator when some of our police officers make less than $30,000," Baddourah said. "It defies common sense. It's certainly not a decision someone with business experience would have made."
He said curbing violent crime will remain his top priority.
"We can no longer deny there's a problem," said Baddourah, who chairs council's Public Safety Committee. "We must make public safety a higher priority. We need more boots on the ground in key crime areas, and we must ensure our police have the support they need to do their jobs effectively and safely."
The councilman said another priority will be ending the unwise practice of diverting money away from the water and sewer maintenance fund to pay for other expenses. "The continued raiding of this maintenance fund has caused unnecessarily high water rates and left our water and sewer system in disrepair, which is both a quality of life issue and a threat to the environment," Baddourah said.
Benjamin released a statement a few house after Baddourah's announcement.
"Since taking office we have generated a budget surplus for three straight years, cut unemployment by nearly two percent, and by investing in law enforcement, reduced violent crime by over 12 percent," said Benjamin in an email to WIS.
"We've led an economic and cultural renaissance on Main Street and throughout our city," continued the mayor. "We continue to build lasting regional partnerships toward a vibrant, dynamic 21st century Columbia.
"I am proud of our record of leadership," concluded Benjamin. "I believe in our vision for the future. And I look forward to every opportunity to discuss the issues facing our city."
The election will take place this fall, shaving six months off Benjamin and Baddourah's terms. Council voted last year to move city elections from the spring to the fall.
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Moe Baddourah
Steve Benjamin
