Joseph Jenkins

When I first came onto City Council and became the Chair of the Finance Committee, I did not fully realize the impact my actions and words could have. Being new, I wanted to learn as much as I could about what each department did. It came from a place of genuine curiosity and desire to learn. Therefore, I invited each department to come to Finance to explain what responsibilities and duties each department had. This resulted in many department leaders becoming worried about their budgets and finances simply because of my position. That was never my intent. But I’ve learned that the seat we hold in trust to the people and a leadership entrusted to us by other members, comes with true authority that needs to be used responsibly for the betterment of all.

I value my relationships with all of my fellow Councilmembers. There was one financial issue where I fundamentally disagreed with another member and no compromise or understanding could be reached. We had to agree to disagree. I voted and acted in a manner that I thought was correct and never begrudged that member for their position. I continued to treat them the same way regardless of our disagreement.

I initially believed that Charleston’s City Council was too large. But after seeing how the diverse perspectives of many folks across the City come together to better the City, I realized the size was a strength. Additionally, if one looks at the numbers, even with 26 members, citizens of Charleston have less representation than many other cities in the valley. The size allows members to be closer to the citizens they serve and to directly assist in addressing their concerns. After coming to this realization, I oppose efforts to reduce the size of Council and explain why I believe the current size is a unique and beneficial aspect of the City’s government.