City leaders unveil Joe E. Taylor Jr. sign near Gervais Street Bridge

COLUMBIA, SC (WOLO)– Family and friends of the late Columbia City Councilman Joe E. Taylor Jr. gathered in West Columbia to honor his legacy.

Columbia Mayor Daniel Rickenmann and West Columbia Mayor Tem Miles spoke about their colleague to a crowd at the Riverwalk Amphitheater, before a sign unveiling.

Local leaders describe Taylor as a visionary and an “agent for change” in developing the neighboring cities and bridging the gap between them.

Now the Gervais Street Bridge between West Columbia and Columbia will be named after him.

ABC Columbia spoke to his wife Amanda, and children Ann and John, at today’s unveiling.

“These were two areas, Columbia and West Columbia, that Joey just felt passionate about. He enjoyed being here every single day. It was a city that he always thought was so very special and had given him so many opportunities he loved giving back. So Ann and John and I like to call it the Jetway because Joey loved his initials, J-E-T. So it’s a perfect stretch and bridge between the two cities, we’re very honored,” says Amanda Taylor.

In 2006, Taylor also served as Secretary of Commerce under former Governor Mark Sanford.

Taylor passed away in December 2022.