Five seek Democratic primary win in Florence City Council District 1 | Latest Headlines | #citycouncil


FLORENCE, S.C. — Five candidates are running for Florence City Council District 1 representative in Tuesday’s primary election.

William Schofield, who currently holds the office, decided not to seek re-election. Instead, he is running for Florence County Council District 8 representative. He is facing incumbent Frank J. “Buddy” Brand in Tuesday’s Republican primary.

The five candidates for Florence City Council District 1 are Darryl Witherspoon Mitchell, Jonathan Briggs, James “Big Man” Kennedy, LaShonda NeSmith-Jackson and Isaac “Gin” Wilson.

The winner of the Democratic primary will face Joey McMillan in the November general election.

Mitchell has a family of five and holds an associate’s degree of arts.

Briggs is senior pastor of Truth & Fellowship Global Outreach Ministry for more than 28 years. He oversees three church locations – North Charleston, Florence and Greenville – with a total congregation of about 1,500 members. He also owns Desolate Development Group LLC, which is building new and rehabilitating existing homes in West Florence. He is a graduate of West Florence High School. He and his wife have seven children and 14 grandchildren.

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Kennedy is considered to be a community activist.

NeSmith-Jackson is the owner of NeSmith Insurance Agency, the chief executive officer of GOTV Consulting LLC and a former chairwoman of the Florence County Democratic Party.

Wilson is executive director of Listen 365. He graduated from Wilson High School in 2006 and Morris College in 2011. He is the third vice chairman of the Florence Democrat Party, former Joe Biden for president regional director, former political director for Tulsi Gabbard and a James E. Clyburn Fellow (2018). His mother and father are Wanda (Derrick) Alexander and Isaac Wilson Jr. Dora Motley is his grandmother. He has a sister, Monique Melton, and a brother, Rodney Titus.

Only three candidates – Briggs, Mitchell and Wilson – responded to the Morning News’ request to respond to the questionnaire sent to them. Here are their responses.

1 What will you do to bring gun violence and crime under control in Florence?

Briggs: What I am finding is most of these crimes are unfortunately familiar and senseless. We need to get to the root of the problems, which in my opinion, has very much to do with mental health, caused by societal issues and situations. We must be willing to work with the police and not be afraid to tell if someone has stolen a gun from the home or if someone has a gun who should not.

Mitchell: Propose camera systems be installed in hot spots and more police patrolling.

Wilson: Address gun violence with racial equity and trauma-informed solutions. Trauma-informed solutions and practices involve acknowledging the life experiences of survivors of gun violence in order to develop and implement effective solutions. Gun violence in communities does not just affect the person shot. The ripple effects of gun violence are felt by their families, loved ones, and the community. We must make Investments in public spaces where community violence is most likely to occur and partner with schools as well.

2 What improvements would you like to see in Florence and your district?

Mitchell: Abandoned houses, address drain systems, pick up trash on side of the roads, street maintenance repair and gun violence.

Wilson: I would love to see improvements on our roads in partnership with the county and using funds from Penny tax. I would like to see revitalization take place in low income neighborhoods. We need improvements in making our district and our city donut hole free. The city should be the city and the county the county. They shouldn’t coincide.

Briggs: The improvements that I am dedicated to are those expressed by the constituents, understanding that we all have different needs as citizens, whether you live on Sumter or Roughfolk Street or off Hoffmeyer Road. I am all about solutions. Whether that be a solution to affordable housing, assisting businesses with their specific needs, reducing crime or fixing roads, I am running to take out the guesswork of government.

3 What can be done to create affordable housing while preserving established neighborhoods in Florence?

Wilson: There are ways to revitalize neighborhoods without also gentrifying them. One is to use a positive development model that builds a new vision of community health and sustainability that benefits all residents. Community organizing that brings different groups to the same table to identify a shared interest and common struggle is key to ensuring development that empowers entire communities.The development process should enable community members to identify the types of housing, services and infrastructure that should exist in their neighborhood. The process should value longtime residents’ visions of neighborhood change and give the power of decision-making to community residents. A healthy community is one that acknowledges and supports the importance of racial equity, community and culture.

Briggs: I have been participating in the city’s revitalization initiative for some time now in the West Florence area, where I currently live and have built homes. I teach members in the community the importance of home buying, which is a partnership between my construction company and Florence, S.C., community partners. My belief is home ownership leads to community stability, sustainability, and generational wealth. The type of home built is directly related to preservation, as I always keep this in mind.

Mitchell: Renovate houses that can be saved. Build houses at affordable prices so the people in that community can afford them.

4 How can the city attract more businesses and industries?

Mitchell: Business growth and expansion that allows for livable wages is key. Supporting micro, small, and big business growth is very essential. Couple this with making these entities know that we have a work force that is educated and trained to continue to make their businesses thrive. I look forward to working closely with the city council, the county, the Chamber and economic development office to make sure we are putting together attractive proposals/incentives to support businesses here and to attract new businesses of all levels.

Briggs: Focus on local growth and make business services and resources more accessible.

Wilson: Innovation doesn’t have to be difficult. Most city officials are looking for an epiphany that will bring investment flooding in but in reality, workers and businesses simply want to go somewhere that feels relevant and vibrant. This environment cultivates creative, productive work forces and long-term, sustainable businesses. We need to elect and appoint visionary leaders to position ourselves as an international location that we can work, play and live in.

5 What are other key issues facing Florence that you want to address?

Mitchell: Gun violence, developing programs and using the existing programs for mentoring the youth, getting police hubs back into the community and making landlords more accountable for properties.

Wilson: We need to fix our storm water drainage and make our neighborhoods safer by getting back to real community policing. We need a leader who understands a thriving city and state means we have Strong Schools, Healthy Families, and Safe Communities, some of the most critical issues facing District 1. That’s me. I will be your voice to ensure our youth, families and seniors will have the adequate information, resources and services to make this happen.

Briggs: The other key issue for me is to work with our 10-year plan to make sure it is equitable and inclusive. I know District 1 needs to have a seat at the table to address needs in this area. Needs such as affordable housing, as well as taking care of road issues, which is an infrastructure need in conjunction with the city, county, and state. We also need to look at business growth and expansion that allows for livable wages. All of which are addressed in the 10-year plan. It is about relationships and being that voice to assist future constituents in getting things done. Listening, acting as the voice, and being a resource that is driven by the people to make sure the plan is executed with fairness and is all-inclusive. I would like to end by asking the residents of District 1 to vote Johnathan Briggs their next councilman on June 14. Let me be the voice!


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