Beaufort City Council candidate Q&A: David Taub

Name: David Taub

Age: 73

Office: Beaufort City Council

Challengers: Mike McFee, Nan Brown Sutton

Question: Why do you think young families are leaving Beaufort —the city lost 25 percent of residents age 20 to 44 from 2000 to 2014 —and how specifically might you work to attract and retain young people to the city while in office?

Answer: I believe the city should be more supportive in providing educational, social and housing options that are important to many young families. We simply must make the educational, employment and social opportunities available to attract these folks. I plan to work with USCB and TCL to expand educational options in Beaufort, including student housing as recommended by Historic Beaufort Foundation and others. If we work hard, smart and diligently, we can do this, so young families will live in the city.

Q: Beaufort has multiple economic development initiatives/incubators now —The Beaufort Digital Corridor, Beaufort Black Chamber of Commerce and a new partnership with the Don Ryan Center for Innovation. In a city as small as Beaufort, are three incubators sustainable? And how would you help ensure they all work?

A: I support all efforts to generate economic development in Beaufort, most especially within our commercial corridors. I am dedicated to working diligently with my colleagues to support these new initiatives. These efforts require sustained commitment for following through, and I have full time and experience to commit the energy to see these efforts succeed.

Q: What should the city do about the downtown parking garage and improvements to Waterfront Park and Southside Park if the capital projects sales tax does not pass?

A: I am told that downtown parking has been funded in many cities without a sales tax. This could be done in Beaufort and we should be examining carefully all options with a laser-like focus. We should also re-engage in a serious dialogue with the private developer to explore all possibilities for maximizing the use of any parking facility that actually comes to pass.

I was responsible (along with support from former Mayor pro tem Rauch) for getting Southside Park. We should follow the model we used in developing Pigeon Point Park. We built that park with neighborhood volunteers, private funds, and City public works employees. I propose establishing a “Friends of Southside Park” citizens’ group to work with the City to establish a realistic program that could be implemented in phases. It is not necessary to raise taxes to accomplish this important goal, as my record as Mayor demonstrates.

We must develop a phased plan for improving the western end of the Waterfront Park, which must include accommodations for removing parking and replacing asphalt with green space. We should embark on a dedicated plan to seek grants and other sources of funding other than taxes. And we should develop a model for how to make the marina more of an economic asset than it is at present. I will dedicate full time and my broad experience in heading up this effort.

This story was originally published November 3, 2016 at 11:48 AM with the headline "Beaufort City Council candidate Q&A: David Taub."