Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling will seek another term
Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling wants another term.
There wasn’t much doubt — Keyserling had already begun seeking campaign contributions on his website. But in his weekly newsletter Monday, he officially announced his plans to run for a third, four-year term.
Keyserling, 68, was elected mayor in 2008. He had previously been elected to city council and was a state representative.
In his announcement, Keyserling touted his community engagement and said he has been honest and straightforward when he has been wrong.
“I have spoken from my heart about my love for Beaufort,” he wrote.
Councilman Mike McFee said he will also seek a third term, running for one of two open council seats. George O’Kelley, who holds the other open seat, said last month he doesn’t plan to run again.
McFee, a Beaufort realtor, said he feels he still has much to contribute.
“I feel like there is still lots to do,” he said. “With that in mind, I decided that if the people will have me, I will stay probably just one more term.”
Council will vote a second time Tuesday to set filing fees and an Aug. 15 filing deadline ahead of the Nov. 8 election. After that, filing can officially begin.
It’s not surprising Keyserling broke the news of his re-election campaign in his newsletter. The email blast has become a staple since shortly after he took office in 2008.
What started as a column grew to include a list of area events. Now the newsletter includes a note from Keyserling and a series of headlines. It reaches between 8,000 and 10,000 people each week, Keyserling said. He launched a website last year —www.liveworkstaybeaufort.com — essentially becoming his own news outlet and linking news from other local media.
He’s used the reach to publicize causes like his opposition to offshore drilling and seismic testing.
“It’s a big part of the mayor’s job to promote the city and promote goodwill,” Keyserling said. “...I always try to point out positive things happening here in addition to whatever I’m writing about.”
Keyserling plans to file Wednesday morning and is working with an assistant to touch up a a list of past campaign contributors and plan sites for campaign signs. Signs from past campaigns are stored in a warehouse and ready to go out, he said.
He cited unfinished projects, like the Boundary Street redevelopment, form-based code and a delayed project on Allison Road, as reasons for seeking another term.
O’Kelley, a Beaufort attorney and former municipal judge, is serving his third term. He served city council from 1979 to 1982 and again from 2004 to 2008. He was elected in a special election in 2011 to fill the term of late Councilman Gary Fordham and kept the seat in 2012.
Attempts to reach O’Kelley were unsuccessful Monday.
This story was originally published July 25, 2016 at 4:06 PM with the headline "Beaufort Mayor Billy Keyserling will seek another term."