Strong Mayor Debate Gets Personal
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Columbia, S.C. (WOLO) — The strong mayor debate in the City of Columbia is going from political to personal.
Midlands resident Annie Pelzer joined the group against a strong mayor form of government, called Communities United for a Great Columbia. She claims current mayor Steve Benjamin should not be given more power, as the strong mayor method would allow, because he doesn’t seem to care about all victims of violent crime. Pelzer’s daughter, D’andra, was shot and killed in Columbia over the summer, and she says Benjamin was not there for her family.
“The same way you can support others who are hurt, Baby, I need sympathy or healing as well,” she told ABC Columbia News. “My husband is a 28-year employee of the City and [the mayor] didn’t even reach out to him. So, yes, I feel a certain way.”
Benjamin responded through a spokesperson, saying he didn’t know Pelzer’s husband is a City employee. He went on to say, “The truth is that I’ve visited far too many hospital rooms and attended far too many funerals this year. Unfortunately, as long as our chief of police answers to multiple bosses instead of a mayor elected by and directly accountable to the people, I fear we have more tragedy in store. The December 3 Strong Mayor referendum is about giving our police chief and officers the flexibility and the authority they need to prevent these crimes in the first place.”
Retired magistrate judge, Mildred McDuffie, also a part of the opposing group, answered the mayor’s claim by stating ‘it is ridiculous to assert that a strong mayor form of government is the cure for crime.”
There are more than 70,000 registered voters in the City of Columbia. According to the State Election Commission, special elections traditionally garner low voter turnout. While a large number of people may not make it to the polls, the vote is a critical one, as it could change the way Columbia is governed and possibly cost some people their jobs, according to McDuffie. If voters reject ‘strong mayor’ it will be another four years before the issue can come to a vote again.
