Aubry Alexander ‘Bows’ Out

There will be one more familiar face missing from City Council Chambers this year other than Joe Riley’s. After an eight-year tenure and two successful political campaigns, Dist. 9 Councilman Aubry Alexander was defeated in November by local lawyer Peter Shahid.
A real estate broker and avid golfer, Alexander threw himself into his part-time job with full-time zeal, according to two of his closest allies on Council, Bill Moody and Keith Waring.
First elected in 2007, and later Mayor Pro Tem in 2010, Alexander was one of the main forces behind several municipal projects and improvements in West Ashley. But perhaps his biggest legacy will be his advocacy for West Ashley, and not just his district, on Council.
Alexander was instrumental in focusing on Council and City Hall in the creation of plans to revitalize West Ashley, including projects related to creating a TIF, a tax-incremental-funding device to fund civic efforts, prop up Citadel Mall, and the creation of several parks, according to Moody.
Moody praised Alexander’s connections within the business community that provided much-needed insight to how the area’s entrances should be addressed, as well as championing parks from Northbridge to Higgins Pier to the recently purchased Bender Street park project.
Moody said he would most miss the level of trust he enjoyed with Alexander.
“I’d go to Aubry and ask him a question and it would stay confidential: he might laugh at me, but he wouldn’t share the conversation with anyone,” said Moody.
“There was a level of trust that, even though we didn’t vote the same way on a lot of issues, was there when we talked about issues that you have to have … He was a trusted colleague.”
Alexander, along with Moody, joined with Waring to form a powerful pro-West Ashley trio on Council that continually agitated and advocated for more of City Hall’s attention to be focused on this side of the Ashley River.
Waring said he was most impressed with the level of preparation Alexander brought to Council Chamber. “There was nothing part-time” about Alexander’s approach to public service, according to Waring. “Aubry exemplified keeping up on all of the issues, and being prepared in advance.”
Waring, whose friendship with Alexander dates back to high school days, said his colleague always reached out to others on Council, and that he made sure everyone knew where he stood on a issue, and why.
What Alexander is most proud of his eight-year tenure on Council is that “we finally have West Ashley on the map; we got it noticed by the past administration and by the future administration.”
Alexander ticked off the improvements he’s seen in West Ashley, from increased patrolmen to sidewalks to the coming West Ashley Senior Center and planned county library off Glenn McConnell.
Without mentioning names, on the record, Alexander said he wouldn’t miss the “frustration of dealing” with entrenched advocacy groups “with their feet set in concrete” that would “fall on their swords” before they’d ever compromise on a difficult issue.
Alexander hates that he won’t be there to chime in on discussions to guide Charleston further down the technological highway and a knowledge-based economy.
Even though he still gets calls every day, Alexander has vowed to take some time off, focus on his family, his business, and perhaps a little travel. But he said he would soon return to public service. He wouldn’t say if that included another run for office or if he would head up a local organization.
Alexander also won’t be on the front-row for what may be a major change in City Hall, as the “benevolent dictator” Riley’s departure this month afterz 40 years in office creates the possibility for a paradigm shift toward a stronger Council-weaker mayor model.
Mayor-elect John Tecklenburg promised a more “collaborative” approach with Council during his campaign.
Council heard him. During its last meeting in December, members informed staff that Riley was gone and that more information and appointments would flow through them in the future.
Moody and Waring both said whatever shift occurred, it wouldn’t devolve into a power struggle between the mayor and Council. Both pointed out that many members of Council have more years of dealing with wider swaths of city government than does Tecklenburg, who ran a department for Riley in the past.