Emily Cooper, Sarah Clarkson, Rev. Wyley Cooper, and Howard Duvall

The commission formed to investigate city government structure and possible changes met Wednesday night in City Hall. Mayor Coble asked members to compare the current Columbia city council/ city manager system with a strong mayor system, similar to Charleston and North Charleston. Chairman Patton Adams opened the floor for citizen input.

The first to speak was Tom Prioreschi, a mostly Main Street developer. Prioreschi favored a strong mayor system. He said, “First and foremost, Columbia needs a structure which provides a clear vision and a long range plan which supports that vision. The plan should primarily emulate from and be the focus of one elected person, a mayor, who will be responsible for achieving that vision and executing the plan. The focal point of the vision, decision making, and responsibility should be the mayor.”

John Blackmon Wyley Cooper, Pastor at College Place United Methodist Church on Colonial Drive next to Columbia College, recalled discussing Columbia’s consideration of changing to a strong mayor municipal system a year ago. Cooper said, “I am convinced that the problems that we are experiencing may not be due to the form of government, but rather to the failure of leadership among elected officials. Why does it make sense to give additional power and day–to–day operational responsibility to persons that have not proven their ability to handle what they have now?”

Bill Manley Developer John Blackmon, former member of the Richland County Planning Commission, suggested elected city officials were bogged down doing city staff’s work. He also praised USC for their fine work running the city. “We’re not taking care of the big picture,” said Blackmon. He added, “You don’t need a strong mayor to have a strong leader.” The next election, Blackmon offered, might bring the necessary change to city government, positive governmental moves without any alteration in the structure of municipal government.

Tom Prioreschi Bill Manley, the unofficial mayor of Eau Claire, positioned himself as strongly in favor of the status quo, as far as municipal government structure was concerned. “It’s all about leadership,” he said. Late for an appointment with his wife at the Senior Center in Maxcy Gregg Park, Manley apologized for his brief speech, and the commissioned thanked him for his brief speech.

Chairman Adams thanked the participants and his commission, and the meeting adjourned at a comparatively early hour.