Mayor Steve Benjamin delivers his final ‘State of the City’ address
If you would like to hear the address in its entirety, you can click on the link provided below
Columbia, SC (WOLO) — As Columbia nears the one year mark since COVID-19 hit the Midlands Tuesday night outgoing Mayor Steve Benjamin gave his final State of the City address to a nearly empty City Council Chambers while streaming the address online due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The Mayor reflected on his last 10 years in office after starting back in 2010, as the first black Mayor of the City of Columbia.
The Mayor also acknowledged the difficult undertaking that is responding to the coronavirus pandemic, commending citizens and staff alike for remaining resilient this and previous challenges.
While Columbia residents continue to live in unprecedented times, comprised of a public health crisis, economic disruption and social unrest Mayor Benjamin says the State of the City is strong. Mayor Benjamin announced February 4, 2021 that he would not seek a fourth term in order to focus more on his family and law firm. But but also says he’s not giving up the idea of returning to politics in the future.
Since announcing his plans to let someone take the reigns, longtime city Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine, Councilman Daniel Rickennman, and the Mayor’s former Special Assistant, Sam Johnson have all thrown their names in the hat to take over the title during the next election in November.
If you did not get to see the Mayor’s address to the city, You can watch it via the City of Columbia YouTube page.
