Safety first priority, economic development follows closely
Mayor Steve Benjamin is proud of his record. But despite having a seven-page document of first-term accomplishments, he said there’s still work to be done.
Since being elected Columbia’s first African-American mayor in 2010, Benjamin added more than $8 million to the budgets of the city’s police and fire departments. The city itself has had four consecutive years of budget surpluses, resulting in a credit upgrade by credit rating agency Standard and Poor’s. Crime has decreased by 15 percent citywide, with violent crime down 30 percent.
But Columbia is still without a permanent police chief. Residents and USC students are concerned about gang violence. For Benjamin, working on safety is a first priority. The rest, he said, will follow.
Safety first
Upon Larry Sypolt’s withdrawal from the mayoral race, Benjamin named the former FBI analyst chairman of the Blue Ribbon Citizen’s Task Force for Crime Reform. Benjamin and that task force are working on compiling suggestions and strategies for the city’s “refined” focus on crime.
“We want to make sure we have a safe city. We want to refine that focus onto violent and repeat offenders. We want to get those offenders and gang members off our streets,” Benjamin said. “Once we do that, we can focus like a laserbeam on economic development and job creation.”
Crime deters businesses from investing in cities, Benjamin said at a mayoral candidates forum hosted by Student Government, and cracking down on gang members and repeat offenders will help attract more jobs to South Carolina’s capital city.
But with high-profile incidents like the Oct. 13 shooting of first-year business student Martha Childress in Five Points, Benjamin said students and residents have demanded action now. He isn’t wasting any time.
“There are some ideas that have been advanced that are immediately actionable. There are some of them that will be on our (city council) agenda for Nov. 12,” Benjamin said. “We’re making sure we can move on them now so people can see and feel the progress.”
Revitalizing Columbia
Once the city’s issues with crime are addressed, Benjamin hopes to turn his focus on economic development on the heels of a major revitalization of Main Street.
The city distributed $425,000 in federal funds and got a return of $6.1 million in private investment along Main Street. The city kickstarted a new, smaller version of that project along North Main Street in June. Over the past two years, Benjamin said $300 million in new investment has come to downtown Columbia.
“The revitalization of downtown Columbia is something I’m very proud of,” Benjamin said. “Great cities grow from the inside out, from a dynamic, lively urban core.”
Benjamin plans on continuing that revitalization with the development of an abandoned mental hospital on Bull Street. The 165-acre campus will become a new shopping and dining district called the Columbia Common.
“Downtown Columbia’s on fire and we’re just excited,” Benjamin said.
Keeping ties
More than 20 years ago, Benjamin was USC’s student body president. Now, he’s still engaged with the university, communicating with President Harris Pastides and Student Government on a regular basis. SG in particular, he said, has had that voice heard by the city.
“[Student Body President Chase Mizzell] and the student leadership over there are very engaged,” Benjamin said. “They know what’s going on. They know how to use traditional media, personal relationships and social media to influence policy.”
Benjamin also communicates with Pastides multiple times a week and said that a strong relationship between the city and the university is vital.
“I’m a believer that if it’s good for the university, it’s good for the city of Columbia,” Benjamin said. “It’s a strong and vibrant relationship and we have to grow it.”
Moving forward
Looking ahead to Tuesday, Benjamin is “very confident” the votes will come back in his favor.
“We take nothing for granted, but we’ve worked hard,” he said. “We have a strong record of achievement in things from public safety to economic development … Our record really speaks for itself.”
His supporters think so, too. At a campaign fish fry Sunday afternoon, one voter approached him, saying he had faith that the mayor would be re-elected.
“You’re going to win it, man. And strong mayor, too!” the man said, referencing the December referendum.
“We will,” the mayor assured him.