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A Big City in a Little Shell
because we embrace our important neighbors
Our little City of 12,500- 13,000 residents is for all practical purposes a community of about 65,000 people who call Beaufort home, use our services, shop and dine in our city and often call on me as their Mayor.
The other morning I answered a call from a gentleman from Dale (a rural area about 10 miles outside of the City) telling me that the road had washed out and he needed it scraped and graded so that he and his family could not get to and from his home.
I told him that I was the Mayor of Beaufort and that Dale is not the city. He replied that he had my number, and called me because I was his mayor. Jokingly I told him that he did not live in the City, he could not vote me out of office and I could not raise his taxes. Though I could not see his face, as we were talking by telephone, I could see his smile and in a gentle manner, he retorted. I got your telephone number, you are the Mayor and I need help.
I suggested he call his very capable and constituent oriented County Council representative, Gerald Dawson, who I felt could help get the county road crew to the scene. He thanked me, said he would make the call, but continued to insist I was his mayor. In ending the conversation he kindly said that if he ever moved to the City I would be his mayor and that he would vote for me but that I could not raise his taxes. It was a friendly call and a story I wanted to share because it reflects on the issue that the City of Beaufort is a larger community to whom many look for help.
Not long thereafter, I received a call from a woman who was facing an eviction from her home which she rents in Bluffton.
Yesterday, I fielded a call from a very nice woman asking the time and place of a public meeting on the rezoning of a lot on Callawassie Island. Like the others she reported that I was the Mayor and should know. I calmly explained that she needed to talk with the Beaufort County planning office for information on the hearing. We ended the conversation and she was grateful.
I tell these stories because it is a daily occurrence for people to reach out for guidance.
I invest a significant amount of my time answering calls and returning emails from these citizens. Some ask why I take the time because those who reach out do not live in the city.
I tell them that this is as an important part of my job marketing Beaufort to the surrounding areas. These 50,000 "Beaufortonians", though not city dwellers, are our customers. Many of them work in the City. We want them to shop and dine in Beaufort. We want them to participate in the many cultural events our city offers. We want them to support the many not for profits who do good things for Beaufort and the surrounding area. We need them and one day they may even decide to move into the City.
So let's not forget our important neighbors.
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