Stephen Murray wants to be Beaufort’s mayor. Mike Sutton does, too. Here’s our pick

On Nov. 3 the city of Beaufort will elect a new mayor next week for the first time since 2008, when Billy Keyserling won the post.

Two knowledgeable and competent public servants — current Councilman Stephen Murray and former Councilman Mike Sutton — are running to succeed Keyserling.

Both Murray and Sutton were reared in the city.

Both own businesses in the city.

Both are passionate about Beaufort.

Either could do a capable job as Beaufort’s mayor.

Murray is the choice

But it is Murray who has the energy, temperament and vision to lead the 309-year-old city through its current challenges.

These daunting challenges include:

▪ The pandemic.

▪ A local economy that needs to become more multidimensional.

▪ Flooding amid rising seas.

▪ A multicultural population that is watching the nation reel from racial unrest.

Murray is better equipped to meet the needs of Beaufort, which has some 13,000 residents. On Nov. 3 the city’s voters should elect Murray as mayor.

Murray is well-prepared

Murray, 39, owns two Beaufort-based businesses — Kazoobie Kazoos and New South Shirts — and has served on the City Council since 2014.

In addition to serving as the founding chairman of the Beaufort County Economic Development Corporation, Murray has chaired the Beaufort Regional Chamber of Commerce and worked hard to lure business to the city’s struggling Commerce Park.

In an interview with The Island Packet and Beaufort Gazette Editorial Board, Murray noted that when he first joined City Council — some two years after Beaufort bought the park property for $1.85 million to entice industry — he was struck by the lack of businesses in the location.

The site was being held back in part by outdated technology (it had only dial-up internet connection) and poor infrastructure (it had roads full of potholes). But Murray said the city’s defeatist attitude was another obstacle working to hinder economic development.

“It’s been a difficult perception to overcome,” Murray said.

Now Commerce Park has high-speed internet and paved roads, and Murray proudly rattled off the improvements that have occurred thanks to $25 million worth of investment.

They include a 65,000-square-foot spec building that is in the works, a glass company that is making a $3 million investment, laboratories and an increase in industrial and advanced manufacturing businesses.

Murray recognizes that for Beaufort to grow and continue to thrive, it must diversify.

It must offer more and better jobs beyond those linked to the military and tourism.

It must provide more reasons for people between the ages 25 and 44 to come to Beaufort, stay there and raise families in the city.

It must create more opportunities for the city’s minority citizens to be in decision-making roles.

Murray is proud of the city’s government, which he says is among the few in South Carolina that allows its citizens to speak during council meetings without a time limit.

He wants openness and transparency to be hallmarks.

But it is disappointing that Murray has remained silent as City Manager Bill Prokop has kept secret the names of the three candidates under consideration to replace Police Chief Matt Clancy, who died in July.

The state law is clear: those names must be made public to keep residents informed.

The mayor and the council should be openly advocating for Beaufort to follow open records and meetings laws.

Sutton: A rich background

Murray’s opponent, former Councilman Mike Sutton, owns Sutton Construction, a historic restoration company in Beaufort.

There’s no doubt that Sutton, 62, has a rich and extensive background.

He retired from the Coast Guard in 1998 after 20 years working in marine engineering and environmental emergency response.

He served as a Beaufort County Sheriff’s deputy.

He opened an internet cafe downtown.

He served two terms on the City Council (from 2006 to 2014).

He has participated on various boards, including the Historic Review Board, Beaufort Redevelopment Commission and Beaufort Merchants Association.

And to his credit, Sutton knows the minutia of city work.

When he first became interested in being part of the council, Sutton dove into minutes of council meetings to understand the budget, which he said was a mess.

There were no capital improvements in the budget, Sutton recalled, nor a plan to maintain the stormwater system to deal with increased flooding.

“My mentality is bricks and mortar,” Sutton told The Editorial Board.

“My strength is looking long term.”

Sutton said the city has “gotten off course in our focus in the last six years” — and he justifiably worries about regional growth harming Beaufort’s ability to manage effectively given that the tax base needs to be shored up.

“Our vision needs to extend past the city limits,” Sutton said.

For example, Sutton noted, affordable housing could be built anywhere — rather than “just on the backs of (Beaufort’s) 13,000 citizens.”

Sutton said the city could be more open and transparent, and noted that holding so many executive sessions is unnecessary and sows doubt. And Sutton said it’s also time for Beaufort’s mayor to work closely with the city’s representatives on the County Council and School Board.

Sutton acknowledged that he wouldn’t have the “warm and fuzzy” persona that Keyserling cultivated, but he said his straightforward style would be a huge asset as mayor.

“I speak my mind,” Sutton said.

And Sutton should continue to do so.

He’s a leader in the community and someone who knows Beaufort intimately.

But Murray is the better choice to lead Beaufort as its mayor.

Voters should give Murray that opportunity on Nov. 3.

This story was originally published October 27, 2020 at 2:23 PM.