North Augusta City Council candidates meet in forum ahead of April election

Miguel Legoas, Augusta Chronicle
Updated ·3 min read
(From left): North Augusta city council candidates Eric Presnell, Richard Adams, David Buck, and Kevin Toole during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday.
(From left): North Augusta city council candidates Eric Presnell, Richard Adams, David Buck, and Kevin Toole during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday.

Some major leadership positions are up for grabs in North Augusta.

Early voting is underway for three city council seats. With Election Day drawing nearer, the candidates participated in a community forum Thursday evening at North Augusta's Community Center to discuss the issues and highlight who they are to voters.

Here's more details on the contenders and what they talked about:

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North Augusta city council candidate Kevin Toole gives his opening remarks during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
North Augusta city council candidate Kevin Toole gives his opening remarks during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

Who is running for North Augusta City Council?

North Augusta City Councilmen Eric Presnell and Kevin Toole are running for a second term. Presnell is vice president of Aiken Augusta Electric and Security while Toole is SRP's chief lending officer.

They are defending their seats from David Buck, a local coach and partner at VUE Real Estate, and Richard Adams, a local entrepreneur and member of Aiken County's Planning Commission. Buck ran for city council in late 2020 but lost in the primary. Adams ran for North Augusta mayor in the same cycle, but lost in the spring 2021 general election to Mayor Briton Williams.

Buck and Adams also have a chance to fill the city council seat being left open by Bob Brooks, who has chosen not to run for re-election. Brooks explained Thursday that eight years is enough and that he and his wife are looking forward to spending more time with their family, church, and North Augusta's Chamber of Commerce.

North Augusta city council candidate Richard Adams gives his opening remarks during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
North Augusta city council candidate Richard Adams gives his opening remarks during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

What was discussed at Thursday's forum?

The topics addressed during Thursday's forum covered a little bit of everything from trust in government to commercial development. Here are a few of the questions asked along with some brief summaries of the candidates' answers:

How will you help manage North Augusta's growth to ensure public resources are able to keep up and the city keeps its character?

Adams would like to boost the public's communication with its local government through technological platforms and identify a model city for reference. Buck recommended investing in infrastructure and making long term plans for the future. Toole also brought up infrastructure and emphasized high-quality development. Presnell echoed those thoughts and added the importance of being creative to attract new employees.

North Augusta city council candidate David Buck gives his opening remarks during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
North Augusta city council candidate David Buck gives his opening remarks during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

The master developer of Riverside Village says new builds are coming. The contract between the developer and North Augusta is reviewed every year. What conditions do you want to put on the developer?

Toole said it's paramount to keep the built-in MID fees that penalize the developer for not building on Riverside Village's empty parcels. Presnell went more general, defending their continued partnership and the developer's progress so far. Adams was more critical, demanding solid deadlines and accountability from the developer in order to fill the empty spaces. Buck said the city should be reviewing their agreement even more regularly and implementing benchmarks.

What are some ways you would prioritize improving residents' lives?

Toole said residents benefit from having leaders who are willing to be active listeners while also working to not be burdens to their constituents. Buck and Presnell are looking to continue and raise up the positive attributes of North Augusta for its current and prospective residents. Adams campaigned for educational experiences so constituents can learn and understand their government in the hopes that they will get more involved.

The full forum can be watched on North Augusta Chamber of Commerce's Facebook page.

North Augusta city council candidate Eric Presnell gives his opening remarks via Zoom during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.
North Augusta city council candidate Eric Presnell gives his opening remarks via Zoom during the North Augusta City Council candidate forum at the North Augusta Community Center on Thursday, April 13, 2023.

When and where is the election?

Early voting is available now until April 21, 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday at the Aiken County Registration & Elections Commission in Aiken at 1930 University Pkwy.

Election Day is 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. April 25 at all of North Augusta's available voting precincts. The full list is available at northaugustasc.gov.

This article originally appeared on Augusta Chronicle: North Augusta City Council candidates, issues for April 25 election