Leader of "No to Strong Mayor" explains his motivations from two different perspectives

Councilman Baddourah had his business in mind when it comes to having a mayor-council form of government  

On November 5th, 2013 Moe Baddourah experienced defeat at the hands of incumbant Steve Benjamen in the mayoral election of Columbia, S.C. but did get a big win over the mayor in another election held last week.

The December 3rd election to change Columbia's style of government from manager-council, which is what it has been for the past 64 years, to mayor-council did not pass as Baddourah was successful in leading the "no" campaign.

 Baddourah explains why the manager-council form

of government is better for Columbia

The motion would have eliminated the position of city manager, currently held by Teresa Wilson, and had the original responsibilities of the city manager given to the mayor. Some of those responsibilities include hiring and firing city employees, conducting investigations within the city's departments, addressing the concerns of council members respective districts and handling Columbia's $250 million dollar budget.

Baddourah represents Columbia's third district, which includes the Rosewood. Shandon and University Hill areas which are homes to hundreds of USC students. In that area is where Baddourah also got his rise to being a public servent.

Baddourah got is start in the small business sector working for Andy's Deli, the famous sub shop located in the Five Points area then owned by his uncle Andy Shlon. It was there he found his passion for the restaurant business and began opening other eating establishments around the Columbia area, including the Eclair Pastry Shop, which he has since sold, and The Mediterranean Tea Room in the Shandon area.

Baddourah talks about the perspective of a small

business owner in regards to having a "strong mayor" 

Baddourah's latest project, now in its 11th year of operation, is Moe's Grapevine, a restaurant that specializes in Italian and Southern Mediterranean food. In all, Baddourah has 29 years running small businesses in the Columbia area, coining his old campaign catchphrase: "A businessman for mayor".

Even through his mayoral campaign was unsuccessful, it's his business background that has propelled Baddourah into his elected position that he has held since 2008. Baddourah is currently in his second term that is set to end in 2015.  

So Baddourah is unique in his opposition to the strong mayor campaign, in the he has has two different perspectives on why the manager-council form of government is the right way to go. One side coming as a elected councilman, and the other as a small business owner.

With dualing motivations, it only made sense that Baddourah felt strong enough to lead the movement to keep Columbia's city manager on board, even more so than the current manager Wilson herself. Simply put, Baddourah's livelihood was on the line, his life that he had built from scratch. Baddourah knew that if he had concerns about his district, he would be at a disadvantage to that being resolved.

That doesn't go for just small business owners though. Any citizen living in the City of Columbia who wanted to address a concern would have to be content with the fact that their concerns would all rest in the hands of the mayor instead of an appointed city manager.  

Baddourah compares the two forms of government;

manager-council and mayor-council 

On the other hand, as a councilman that disadvantage comes at a greater cost. If Baddourah can't take a concern directly to a city manager, he would have to put it in the hands of the mayor. With the increased task load of the mayor, the chances of that issue sitting dead is greater, which would reflect badly on Baddourah, causing to him to lose support within his district. 

Not just for Baddourah's district though, all four districts that Columbia has would answer to Benjamen instead of Wilson. District 1 representative Sam Davis, At-Large representative Tamika Isaac Devine and District 4 representative Leona Plaugh were also in the movement to keep on the city manager. that makes four of the six members in city council actively opposed to the strong mayor form of government.  

Either way, Baddourah had more than enough motivation to justify his opposition to the mayor-council form of government. For those who speculate, Baddourah ensures that his leading of the "no" campaign was never in spite of him losing to Benjamen last month. Just that he is concerned that if Benjamen were to leave his post, there would be a concern over whether or not he could trust the replacement mayor with all the responsibilities held by the mayor in that style of local government.

It can only be another four years before Benjamen can have another crack at trying to change the form of Columbia's governmental structure, which he has already hinted at by saying his parents raised him to be a "change agent". But Baddourah says if Benjamen tries again, his camp will "be ready" to oppose once again.