Pooler's Rebecca Benton will be a one-term mayor. Here's why and who she endorsed for the post.

Pooler Mayor Rebecca Benton announced Monday she will not seek another term as the city's mayor and is endorsing Council Member Steve Wall's mayoral bid instead.

Pooler residents will elect a new mayor on Nov. 7.

Benton, a Pooler native, has served on the city council for nearly 20 years and watched the city grow from a one-stoplight town to the bustling suburb it is today.

“I will serve out my term as mayor but I will not seek re-election as mayor,” Benton said in a press conference in front of Pooler’s city hall.

The outgoing mayor mentioned that age and back problems have influenced her decision to step away from city government. Benton first joined the city council in 2004 and served as mayor pro tem for eight years before winning the mayoral post in 2020 after long-time Mayor Mike Lamb retired.

Benton endorsed Wall, who announced his run for mayor in March, as well as sitting council members Shannon Black and John Wilcher; Shirlenia Daniel, a planning commission member; and Wesley Bachelor, whose mother runs Polk's Plus, a produce market located on U.S. 80.

Wall is running against council member Karen Williams for the mayoral post. No other candidates have announced a mayoral bid, so far.

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Wall is also a Pooler native.

“Stevie has grown up here for a very long time and knows what the issues are … he knows old Pooler ... and he is familiar with new Pooler and their issues,” said Benton.

"Old Pooler" is situated along U.S. 80 near the Interstate 95 interchange where the Main Street District is located.

The other mayoral hopeful, Williams, is serving her first term as council member. In 2019, she ran in a slate with council members Aaron Higgins and Tom Hutcherson. Since joining council Williams has pushed initiatives that increase green space in the city and open communication with residents – values she is continuing to espouse on her mayoral bid.

In announcing her decision to not seek re-election, Benton touted Pooler’s impressive growth over the last few decades, pointing to the opening of businesses such as Costco and the issuing of 333 housing permits last year. Benton also mentioned the city will soon be home to Big Shots, an entertainment business similar to Top Golf, and another “big box” store at the Mosaic development that she is “not at liberty to discuss yet.”

Another point of pride for Benton is city-sponsored recreation. Pooler is expanding their recreation center off U.S. 80 with 16 pickleball courts and four tennis courts. Another public library is also in the works, said Benton.

“We don’t go out and seek development, it comes to us,” she said.

Benton acknowledged that the rapid growth has come with growing pains. Development has taken over most of the city’s vacant land and available property is becoming more expensive. Benton said this is a particular concern for young Pooler families who are in need of more schools in the area.

“Unfortunately, when children get to middle school, the parents move to Effingham or to Bulloch or to Liberty where the schools are better,” said Benton, who said that the school district’s decisions are out of the city’s control.

Wall, who stood by Benton throughout the press conference, congratulated and thanked the mayor.

“I would like to thank her for what she’s done for so many years,” said Wall, “She’s shattered the glass ceiling by becoming the first woman mayor.”

Benton had formerly worked as an attorney. She graduated from the Savannah Country Day School and  the University of Georgia.

Benton said she wants to see a Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) pass in order to fund much-needed infrastructure improvements in the growing city. The TSPLOST referendum failed last year.

This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Pooler Mayor Rebecca Benton won't seek re-election endorses Steve Wall