Former SC commerce secretary Joe Taylor formally enters Columbia City Council race
Former S.C. Secretary of Commerce Joe Taylor has, for several months, been leaning toward a bid for Columbia City Council in District 4.
On Wednesday, he leaned all the way in.
Taylor formally kicked off his City Council campaign with an announcement at Il Bucato pizza restaurant on N. Beltline Boulevard. District 4 is in the northeast part of the city and includes neighborhoods such as Kings Grant, Lake Katherine and Gregg Park. Taylor lives in the Tanglewood neighborhood.
Councilman Daniel Rickenmann currently holds the District 4 seat. He is running for mayor this year.
Taylor has long been a strong voice on the Columbia political scene. He has been critical of the city for what he sees as impediments to doing business, and he has trumpeted a sprawling property tax analysis the city commissioned last year that showed the Columbia area having the highest taxes in South Carolina among large metros. Taylor recently penned a four-part opinion series on the study in The State.
State Ethics Commission records also show he has been an active campaign donor at all levels of government through the years, including in the city of Columbia. He recently donated to Rickenmann’s mayoral campaign.
But now he’s set to go from wielding influence on city races to actually pursuing elected office. He said Wednesday he wants to have an impact on Columbia.
“Everyone wants to be a governor or a congressman or a senator, when this is where I think we can make the most difference in our families’ lives and our communities’ lives and our neighbors’ lives,” Taylor said. “I’m hoping I can be an advocate for small businesses here in Columbia.”
Taylor, a businessman and developer, was the state secretary of commerce from 2005 to 2011. He currently is CEO of Park and Washington LLC, and he is the co-owner of Il Bucato.
Taylor listed four key priorities for his District 4 run, including public safety, growing small businesses and attracting investment, streamlining city services to reduce costs and improve services, and enhancing the capital city’s appearance along roadways and public areas.
He called public safety a “cornerstone” of economic development.
“I think every citizen in District 4 deserves and is entitled to feel safe in their house, safe at work and safe if they are in a public park,” Taylor said. “One thing I’ll make clear today: As long as I’m on City Council, anti-crime spending and public safety spending will be our No. 1 priority.”
Taylor said he believes the city’s overall appearance is a revealing factor about its trajectory.
“A city’s appearance tells you a lot about where its priorities are and where it’s going,” Taylor said. “Frankly, our roads, medians, sidewalks and street corners ought to scream that we are proud of Columbia. We should set the appearance standard as the government. If the government lets its roads have potholes and its medians have weeds, then (that sends the message) that it’s OK for everybody else to do it.”
Aside from District 4, other city seats up for election this year include mayor, an at-large post and District 1. The city’s elections will be Nov. 2, with runoffs on Nov. 16, if necessary. Filing is expected to open in August.
