Mayor Daniel Rickenmann
Mayor Daniel Rickenmann is running for a second term as mayor of Columbia.
“I think we are in the middle of a tremendous amount of growth all the way across the board,” Rickenmann said. “We are in a really great place as a city. We have a record amount of investment internally into our infrastructure. We are seeing record investments from outside the city coming in, private investments. We are really starting to make some advancements in obtainable housing.
“We are seeing economic growth. We’ve had 1,500 new business license applications come in. We have had a record number of ribbon cuttings and openings. Things are growing left and right, and you don’t want to leave right in the middle of it. I want to finish the Riverfront. I want to be able to see the program with dominion where we can get the 200-acre project with the Ginguard family and getting that Riverfront connectivity point through. We are getting these projects that have been unfinished done, and I want to follow them through.”
The past four years have been a bit more challenging than Rickenmann believed.
“I thought coming in that I had all this experience on council, and it’s just been different,” Rickenmann said. “It’s a fulltime job. Long-term we really need to look at that. You can’t do this job part-time. You have to be engaged in the demands of the community and what they want. People expect you to be at every event. You have to see this as a full-time job if you want it to be successful.
“There are always some hot button issues. “I think what you are seeing is we are changing the narrative in Columbia. We are talking about who we are. There is a confidence here. For a longtime Columba allowed Greenville and Charleston to overshadow us, and the reality is now Columbia knows who we are. We are the capital city. We are blessed with six colleges and universities. We have a great economic ecosystem that is just growing. Entrepreneurships are up. Our regional investments are up. Across the board you are seeing people finally realizing that Columbia is a happening place.”
Among the issues Rickenmann has addressed during his campaign is homelessness.
“Going forward we have to have a plan,” Rickenmann said. “We’ve tried to work with everyone. Now we have to do something different. It’s not healthy for our unsheltered population. It’s not healthy for our residents. It’s not healthy for our businesses, let alone our tourism.”
Rickenmann brings much experience to the position. Prior to his current term as mayor, he served as an At-Large and District 4 representative on city council.
“I do think being immersed in the city and knowing the departments and knowing what we do really helps elevate us to the level we need to be and leverage the resources we have,” Rickenmann said. “I have two decades of relationships, not just from the business side but also being on city council. I do think that really helps me move things forward, and getting new ideas and bringing people along because there is experience and there is knowledge there. I think it’s very important because the reality is you have to get the job done.”
Rickenmann is being challenged by Jessica Thomas and Wade Fulmer Jr. With days left before the November election, Rickenmann is focused on doing what he has to do in order to get a second term.
“I plan on doing the forums, knocking on doors, meeting people, going on TV, being on billboards, making phone calls, sending out mailers, and doing everything we would in a normal election,” Rickenmann said.
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