Mayor Tecklenburg sworn into office

Under the midday sun on January 11, beneath picture perfect blue skies on the steps of City Hall, in a ceremony marked by spirited choir voices, poignant poetry, and glowing words of praise showcasing past and present, the Holy City welcomed it’s first new Mayor in 40 years.

West Ashley resident John Tecklenburg, who once called Daniel Island home, took the oath of office as Mayor of the City of Charleston from Retired South Carolina Circuit Judge Richard E. Fields, a longtime friend of the Tecklenburg family. Fields, who met Tecklenburg’s late father, Henry, in 1949, recalled a recent moment when a friend asked if he felt Tecklenburg would have success following the tenure of revered former Mayor Joe Riley. Fields answered with confidence.

“He will bring to that position a love of God with all of his heart, with all of his mind, and with all of his soul, and he will treat all of his neighbors as he treats himself,” Fields told the crowd, many of whom were bundled up in warm winter coats and scarves due to the day’s chilly temperatures.

Under Fields’ direction, after raising his right hand and placing his left on the Bible, Tecklenburg recited the oath and ushered in a new era of leadership in the City of Charleston.

“I want to personally thank the citizens of Charleston for this incredible opportunity that I have to serve,” he said at the start of his inauguration speech. “What an honor to become Mayor of my hometown. It is at the same time humbling and exciting. Never before in our city’s history has a Mayor taken office in a moment so rich with the promise of a better future for all of our citizens.”

Tecklenburg devoted a good portion of his remarks to paying tribute to his predecessor, calling Mayor Riley the “best Mayor in America,” maybe even “the whole world.”

“Before we turn to our plan to make that hopeful future our own and a reality, let’s pause to recognize our current good fortune is not some happy accident of time and place,” he said, as Riley sat just a few feet away on the stage. “We have not arrived at this moment by some chance…We are here in no small part due to the leadership of one man, a man who has led our city with courage, grace and dignity…Through it all, no matter how trying the times or difficult the challenge, he always made us proud. Proud of him, proud of ourselves. Proud to be Charlestonians.”

“You’ve left our city more prosperous, more united, more just,” he continued. “History will record that you were a giant, and history will be right!”

In a lighter moment, Tecklenburg joked that in moving some things into the Mayoral office on January 10 with his wife, Sandy, he found a large, oversized pair of shiny red clown shoes with bright yellow laces in the closet.

“It’s been talked about…that I have some big shoes to fill!” he said, before pulling the shoes out of a bag during his speech. Riley laughed in response, as did the crowd, and told the audience that the shoes were actually from the Ronald McDonald House. Afterwards, Tecklenburg presented Riley with a commemorative plaque from the City of Charleston and its employees for his four decades of dedication and distinctive service.

Tecklenburg then used his pulpit to talk about what happens next for the city. He spoke of targeting traffic and tourism, recreation and redevelopment, public safety and public engagement, and transparency - all issues he frequently discussed on the campaign trail.

“There is much work to be done!” he said. “Work that we should and must do together. First we must tackle the problems that have come with our success, particularly in the areas of livability and quality of life…We face challenges that we can only solve by coming together around a responsible and robust plan of action.”

Immediately following the ceremony and an afternoon reception on Monday, Tecklenburg planned to convene a meeting of city officials to jump start the redevelopment and strategic revitalization of West Ashley, another item on his list of campaign goals. Before the end of the day, he expected to place calls to regional leaders to further efforts to complete I-526. In the days, weeks and months ahead, he also promised to work with City Council and citizens to address flooding and rising sea level concerns, to improve the public transit system and safety for pedestrians and cyclists, to achieve sustainable growth that respects the environment, to improve the delivery of basic city services, and to help empower “our brothers and sisters in need, including our homeless citizens.”

Another challenge Tecklenburg hopes to meet is that of ensuring real, meaningful opportunities for all citizens, regardless of religion, race, creed or circumstance, he said. He plans to work across communities and jurisdictions to end disparages in education, to provide more affordable housing, and to seek social and economic justice.

“So here, in this unfolding story of Charleston’s history with a promise of a hopeful future, let us challenge ourselves this day to accept any test or trial and respond with excellence and enlightenment,” said Tecklenburg, his voice rising from the podium. “To be open and inclusive to show that good citizens working collaboratively can tackle any challenge. To show that with faith in God and love in our hearts, we will be an example to the world, not just in the wake of tragedy, as Charleston has already done so beautifully, but in our actions going forward…That’s how we truly earn the name of the Holy City.”

Among the day’s other speakers were South Carolina’s Poet Laureate Marjory Wentworth and local artist Marcus Amaker, who shared a poem they wrote together to commemorate the occasion.

“Though Charleston is a shrine to the past, where every alleyway and weather-worn road tells the story of a city resurrected, time is never standing still,” recited Wentworth. “Running beneath the surface are fault lines of our own making, reshaping memory brick by brick.”

“…As the earth shifts beneath our feet, we move forward together,” continued Amaker. “Our hearts unhinged, guide us toward a city remade by love, into a future that our past could never have imagined, beginning today.”

The event also included the swearing-in of several newly elected or re-elected City Council members, including Daniel Island resident Gary White, who has represented District 1 for the last eight years. White thanked his family and all of his supporters for helping him throughout his campaign, and also praised former Mayor Riley for his leadership.

“I look forward to continuing to serve the city and the citizens of the City of Charleston,” he said.

Daniel Island resident Chad Vail and his wife, April, who is Tecklenburg’s niece, brought their children along to take part in the inaugural festivities.

“It was exciting and historic,” said Chad. “Charleston has had the same Mayor for so long, my whole life in fact. It was very special to be there and to see the emotion, and of course the singers, and the fun things that made that event special. But also the setting, the historical setting, our four corners of law. It was an amazing time in an amazing place.”

As the momentous program drew to a close, before a rousing performance by the soulful Lowcountry Voices, Tecklenburg summed up the city’s new marching orders.

“So now, with a unity and purpose of clear goals in mind, the work begins…It’s an on-going journey, but we know this - with good will, hard work, and a commitment to excellence in all that we do, Charleston’s best days are yet ahead!”