City of Charleston Council Candidate Questionnaires
We asked the 2025 City of Charleston Council candidates four questions to gauge their views on supporting a thriving, diverse local economy, backing local businesses and entrepreneurs, and enhancing the quality of life for residents. Their responses are shared below.
QUESTIONS:
1. Supporting Local Businesses and Entrepreneurs
What specific policy or program would you champion to reduce administrative burdens (such as complex permitting processes or restrictive zoning) for new and expanding small, locally-owned businesses and entrepreneurs, especially those creating a more diverse mix of retail and services in Charleston?
2. Quality of Life for Local Residents
Charleston's growth has intensified traffic congestion and contributed to high housing costs. What is your plan to improve the daily quality of life for residents by addressing the intersection of transportation and housing, specifically to enable local workers to afford to live closer to their jobs and reduce reliance on long-distance commutes?
3. Maximizing Local Impact of City Spending
How would you reform the City's purchasing and procurement policies to prioritize and increase the percentage of municipal contracts and purchases awarded to qualified local businesses and suppliers, thereby recirculating tax dollars within the local economy?
4. Diversifying the Local Economy
Recommendations to update the City’s 10-year old Tourism Management Plan kicked off earlier this year in partnership with Bloomberg Associates. How do you believe the implementation of this revised plan, in partnership with other local policies, can help address the loss of neighborhood businesses and ensure our commercial districts remain diverse and vibrant?
RESPONSES:
Click on each candidate's name to view their responses. A * designates an incumbent.
District 2:
Kevin Shealy* - no response
Abraham Champagne - no response
District 4:
Robert Mitchell* - no response
Luqman Rasheed - no response
District 6:
William Dudley-Gregorie* - no response
District 8:
Mike Seekings* - no response
District 10:
William Connor - no response
District 12:
Annette Begner - no response