Heather Bauer, Columbia City Council at-large candidate
READ MORE
Columbia City Council, At-large Candidates
Who are the candidates running for an at-large seat with Columbia City Council? Read these candidates questionnaires to learn more about their stance on issues in your community with our Voter Guide, exclusive to The State subscribers.
Expand All
Heather Bauer is one of seven candidates running for an at-large seat on Columbia City Council.
The at-large seat is elected citywide. The seven hopefuls are vying for the seat currently held by Councilwoman Tameika Isaac Devine, who is running for mayor this year. Devine has held the seat for 19 years.
The election is on Nov. 2, with runoffs on Nov. 16, if necessary.
Bauer recently responded to a candidate questionnaire from The State.
Name: Heather Bauer
Age: 37
Occupation: Business Owner at Workhorse Fitness and a project manager at a technology company
Education: Bachelor of Science from Indiana University of Pennsylvania and Master of Media Arts from the University of South Carolina
Political or civic experience: Candidate for S.C. House District 75 in 2020. Former director of operations at the Nickeoldeon Theatre. Palmetto Pride Clean Crew. Founded start-up Vesta. Serve on Columbia Food Policy Committee. Co-founded Columbia Startup Weekend. Served on Congaree Vista Guild Board. Mentor at USC Incubator. Co-chaired Artista Vista. Served on Columbia Design League. Served on Harvest Hope Producers Board. Run several tech meetups, including: Columbia Women in Tech, Columbia Front-End Meetup, Columbia Ruby on Rails, Columbia Google Women Techmakers.
Campaign website: http://voteheatherbauer.com
Why are you running for this office?
I’m running because the pandemic has shown that we all depend on each other regardless of race, religion, gender, or wealth. We can build a city that works for everyone, but that means getting back to basics. The idea is simple: The basic job of government is to ensure that basic needs are met. We can argue about policies and ideologies all day long, but at the end of the day, people just need to know that the city is taking care of their everyday needs. Only then can we build new futures for ourselves.
If elected, what would your two or three priorities be during your first year in office?
My campaign is about getting back to the basics. Above everything, we need a Columbia that works for everyone, and all of us tend to want the same things out of our city: safer communities and more businesses. Too many residents live in fear of crime, and too many neighborhoods suffer neglect. We must repair the relationship between citizens and law enforcement. We need to implement evidence-based programs for building trust and promoting empathy. In my conversations with police officers, I’ve heard about the need to evaluate funding and resources so that we can find opportunities to increase preventative measures. Together, we can imagine a new model of community safety that protects everyone. Small businesses drive our city. We must aggressively promote entrepreneurship and smart growth. This means advocating for development that puts investors in partnership with communities. We need smart regulation to protect the environment while cutting needless red tape that inhibits growth.
What unique skills or life perspective would you bring to city governance?
My entire campaign is about bringing equality of opportunity to our city. I am a product of all of the things that I talk about. I want to make sure that every resident of Columbia has the same opportunities that I did. I grew up in a single wide trailer in a rural town. I moved to Columbia in 2007 for graduate school, and I never looked back. I immediately found a community with strong values that looks after one another. I’m proud to be part of it, and I’d be even prouder to serve it.
My professional focus has always been to make complicated operations work efficiently and successfully. I am not looking at Columbia City Council as a stepping stone or a soapbox. I only see the opportunity to serve my neighbors and make sure the city is working as well as it can for them. I have been successful with that approach as a member of various civic organizations.
What current practice or policy of the city would you preserve or enhance? Why?
Many of the long-term issues that face Columbia already have solutions. We have commissioned studies and developed strategic plans, but we haven’t followed through and executed them. I don’t want to reinvent the wheel or Columbia. I just want to take a look at the recommendations we have already made based on extensive research and figure out how to act upon those plans right away. The most important step toward moving the city toward the future is the first step. We need to get out of our own way and get to work on improvements that we already know will be effective.
This story was originally published October 8, 2021 at 2:14 PM.
