COLUMBIA, S.C. — The race is on for city council in Columbia's District 4 following the unexpected passing of Columbia City Councilman Joe Taylor back in December.
With early voting starting March 13 and the special election set for March 28, the countdown is on for candidates Beatrice King and Peter Brown.
Beatrice King previously served 10 years on Richland School District One's school board. She says her experience makes her a good fit for the open seat.
"I am a well-known entity and people can expect the exact same type of service that I will offer on city council," King said.
King, who has lived in Columbia since 1989, is running on a platform with a large focus on public safety, hoping to bring investments to the city's police force.
"To be a safe city, it has to have the reputation of being a safe city," King said. "Our residents need to feel safe in their houses, on their streets, when they go out shopping to the mall."
King's opponent is Peter Brown, a Columbia native and president of Colite, a sign manufacturing company headquartered in Columbia.
As a businessman, King says his biggest focus is economic development.
"Constantly changing, we're constantly reinventing ourselves, and I think Columbia's done none of that," Brown said. "So, I think just bringing in a new fresh approach to old problems, a fresh approach to new problems."
Brown says the government should work as a business. If elected, he wants to make the city more friendly for businesses by changing the tax structure.
"When you go down Blanding Street, it's other owner occupied or non-owner occupied and empty, or church, lawyer, nonprofit. And that's not an economic model for any city," Brown said. "That's what we've ended up with, so we need to level the playing field."
Homelessness in Columbia is also a concern for both candidates.
"Maybe it would be smarter to spend more money on trying to keep people in their houses, and maybe we can work with other partners in town to do that," Brown said.
"The hard thing is to actually get them out and find them long-term housing solutions," King said. "That's how we address the issue."
Early voting starts on March 13th and runs until March 24th. Election day is set for Tuesday, March 28. A list of polling locations can be found on SCvotes.gov.