Mayor Rick Osbon of Aiken speaks at the 2022 Annual Meeting, where he began a one-year term as the Association's president.
Delegates at the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s Annual Meeting unanimously elected Rick Osbon, mayor for the City of Aiken, as the Association’s president. He will serve a one-year term that began at the conclusion of the 2022 Annual Meeting.
When asked about his vision for South Carolina hometowns, here is what Osbon had to say:
How are cities and towns driving success in South Carolina?
Cities and towns are the centers of economic development and business in our state. They are the quality-of-life hubs where people want to start a business, raise a family, enjoy the arts and all of the other amenities that come with living in a city. While we focus on all of those things, there is something else that should also help drive our success right now: our collective commitment to bring civility and agreeable disagreement back into our communities. The Municipal Association board of directors adopted a strategic plan that prioritizes civility, and with that an ongoing initiative that we are calling “Civility Makes the Difference.” Through this effort, every city and town council has the opportunity to take a pledge to treat each other and the community with respect and civility. Currently, we are the only organization in the state to prioritize civility this way, and in doing so we can ensure that our cities and towns are in a position to keep bringing economic success to South Carolina.
What makes you proud to be a local elected official?
I made the decision to run for local office because I wanted to contribute to the vitality of my hometown, improving the quality of life and bringing economic development. I began my local government service on Aiken County Council. I thought I could do even more for my hometown, so I ran for mayor. I felt like that our city needed a business owner’s perspective. I’m a third-generation small business owner, and I’ve learned from my father and grandfather the principles of running a successful business — always treat people fairly and be kind. I have spent my time on city council building coalitions and consensus for the good of our residents and businesses. I’m proud to serve at the most local level of government where we see our efforts — new parks, business incentives, downtown development, infrastructure improvements — become a reality. We see decisions that we make come to life and directly impact our residents and business owners.
What do you think are the biggest challenges facing cities and towns?
One of the biggest challenges facing cities and towns right now is the difficulty of governing in a time when disagreements turn ugly and compromise is a four-letter word. Businesses, industry, corporations and manufacturing do not want to locate in a place that isn’t friendly for its workers and their families. We must make South Carolina cities and towns responsive to the needs of businesses, and create places where executives want to locate and hire our own residents. Local elected officials are often challenged by residents and even sometimes by colleagues who are negative, offer no solutions and constantly criticize council and its decisions. Let’s try to work together, and to make our council meetings more welcoming, inclusive and open to new ideas. Treat each other like we would want to be treated. If we can conquer this obstacle, there will be no end to what cities and towns can do for the good of our state.