Newman not seeking re-election to Columbia council; potential candidate gets annexation confirmation
As one Columbia City Councilman has signaled his intentions not to run for re-election, a potential candidate for his seat has received confirmation for his home’s recent annexation into the city in time for the November election.
Aaron Bishop, a Richland 1 school board member who has posted on Facebook his intent to run for the District 2 seat now held by Brian DeQuincey Newman, has for years lived outside the city limits.
Newman confirmed Tuesday he will not seek re-election.
Bishop’s Custer Street home, situated north of I-126 and west of Greystone Boulevard, was annexed into the city limits last month and received City Council’s confirmation Tuesday after a public hearing.
The annexation drew concerns from a number of citizens, who questioned the quick process for annexing Bishop’s house.
Council candidates must live within the city limits for at least 30 days before the election.
Bishop’s petition for annexation was filed May 14, apparently after the deadline for items to appear on the June 1 Planning Commission agenda, according to a flier circulated to residents at Tuesday’s meeting. Attempts to confirm that submission deadline Tuesday with Planning Director Krista Hampton were unsuccessful.
The same day Bishop’s request was filed, City Manager Teresa Wilson sent a memo to 25 staff members and department heads regarding Bishop’s request for annexation. In the memo, Wilson wrote that “time is of the essence” in providing comments and recommendations to Planning and Development Services staff before the item would be placed on the June 1 Planning Commission agenda. That is standard practice for putting an agenda together, city officials said.
The Planning Commission approved the request June 1, and council gave approval two weeks later. The public hearing wasn’t held until Tuesday, however. Hampton said that wasn’t an unusual order of events.
Wilson said Tuesday that neither she nor Hampton knew anything of Bishop’s intentions to be a candidate before Tuesday. Hampton said Bishop’s request was handled according to correct procedure and that other annexation requests have followed the same path.
The flier circulated among attendees at Tuesday’s meeting said, “Do you smell a rat? District Two wants leadership that plays by the rules.”
A number of citizens spoke at the meeting, saying they were concerned the annexation process was not fair and Bishop’s request had been “fast-tracked” to meet deadlines for the election.
Candidate filing for the Nov. 3 city election begins Aug. 5 at noon and is open until Sept. 4 at noon.
Reach Ellis at (803) 771-8307.
COUNCIL REPEALS WEAPONS BAN
Columbia City Council repealed its controversial temporary weapons ban for the State House perimeter on Tuesday.
Council voted 5-0 with little discussion. Council members Leona Plaugh and Moe Baddourah were not present.
They also applauded law enforcement’s performance over the past weekend. Five people were arrested Saturday after multiple small clashes between KKK members, observers and members of other extremist groups
Council banned guns within 250 feet of the State House property at the request of law enforcement when the KKK announced it would rally there to protest the state’s removal of the Confederate flag from the grounds. There already is a ban against carrying weapons on the grounds themselves.
One Lexington County resident sued last week, saying the ban was illegal. And this week, the office of state Attorney General Alan Wilson issued an opinion that deemed it illegal.
This story was originally published July 21, 2015 at 9:51 PM.