 Thank you all for being here, and as I go maskless, I'm going to try to do my best to be as concise in what I say and how I say I'll take question. Thank you very much, and leave some time for any questions that you all may have. First of all, I want to thank you all for taking some time to attend a press conference for the worst kept secret in Colombia, but still taking time to think it newsworthy to be here this afternoon. So often, I think elected officials, politicians, were expected to announce the next run on the ladder, the next political step that we plan to take. I've come today to announce that on December 31st, I will be stepping off of the stage as an elected official. It has been my life's blessing to serve as a mayor of Colombia, the city that I love, the city that's given me everything from a wife and a family to an unprecedented opportunity to serve the people that I love here. The silver lining of this great pandemic that we're all working and fighting our way through has been an amazing and incredible amount of time, meaningful time that I've been able to spend with the Andre and our daughters Bethany and Jordan Grace. And I have loved every single minute of it. Prior to the pandemic, I was on the plane at least once a week, sometimes more often than that. And the ability to have dinner with my family almost every day of the week, to have neighborhood walks, to have the ability to not just dine together but to play together and pray together has been edifying and amazing. And I plan to spend the next few years building our family and building a law practice, continuing my business career, and supporting everything else that makes this city great, stepping off the stages as an elected official, not as a servant. As I mentioned to some of you, today is particularly important. It is February 4th. Not only Rosa Parks' birthday, but it's also our oldest daughter's birthday. Bethany's sweet 16 is today. And as I thought about the perfect time to announce my intentions, February 4th was important to me. It was literally the moment in 2005 that I wanted to serve as mayor of Columbia. I wanted to take a very active role in shaping and building the city that our children, Jordan Grace was yet a dream at that point, but that our children would grow up in, would prosper in, that we believed that Columbia, that cities ought to be a platform for human potential. But that city would not just happen. It was a city that her parents and their parents would have to work to build. It's the reason why I decided back in 2005 I wanted to serve as mayor. I wouldn't sit down with Mayor Cobal. And he decided he wanted to serve for a fifth term. And I stepped aside and worked to reelect Bob Cobal, who's a great mayor and a genuinely good man, and decided again to step back up in 2010 to run for mayor. So February 4th seemed to be the perfect time to step back up and say now it's time to step off of the stage to continue to build my family. We have college on the horizon a couple of years from now. This morning we gave our daughter her first car. I'm scared. But she is now a driver. If you see the white Jeep Cherokee coming down the road, pray for you. But this is an opportunity to spend the next 10 months, or so, working to make sure that our city is healthy and strong as we manage through the greatest public health threat that has created the greatest economic threat, educational threat in the last century, and maybe indeed in the history of our great country. I thought this would be a perfect opportunity to issue a few thank yous. Thank yous to my incredible colleagues. I know Mr. Davis is here, and he and I will be taking our last steps out of this building together as elected officials. He has been a friend, a mentor, a brother, a solid rock, not just for the people of North Columbia, but for the people of all of Columbia. And I'm thankful to you, Sam. I want to say thank you to our team. Many of you know of my history as president of the US Compton Mayors and African-American Mayors, and as vice chair of the Global Parliament of Mayors. My girls tease me and say, Dad, what's next? The galaxy? The reality is that I stay involved at every level of government and certainly leading cities all across this country. And the team that Teresa Wilson leads here at the city of Columbia is second to none. We have the very best public administrators, leaders in times of calm, in times of crisis, better than anywhere else in the country, without question. Hard stop. Teresa, love you. Thankful to each and every one of you. We're colleagues. We work together, but they are all genuinely friends. They tolerate me. And the ideas that we have in this chamber during the normal times that sometimes seem to pop out of thin air, nebulous at best at times, they have to put them into action. And they do it every single day. And God's I'm thankful for you. I want to have a chance to say thank you to our mayor's office staff. Blessed early on, it was a couple of iterations of council ago, but came into an office with Sam Johnson and Michael Wachila. I'm not sure any of us knew what we were doing, but we learned pretty quickly. And from Sam and Michael and Shanique and Chris and others to now Scott and Taylor and Errol and Shalane and all of our wonderful, talented staff in between, we've been blessed with some stars. With 300 young students who come through here, as mayor's fellows, who have gone off literally to do amazing things, including working in the White House as we speak. This indeed, the city has become a platform for human potential. What we have learned, however, over the last year should be not only edifying, but also instructive, that as we emerge from this pandemic that the old normal should no longer be our goal. And I hope and pray that as a new mayor, as a new council steps into this role, that we'll understand that complex problems require complex solutions. That usually the answers to various questions and challenges will never be an answer from one person or one individual, that there's power and diversity and power and diverse thoughts and power and understanding that two people equally you can see the world very differently. But working together, you can solve things. It was a premise. It was the foundation of the idea of one Columbia that we would work together to create the most talented educated entrepreneurial city in the new South. We've learned a number of things over the last year. That America has been under a great X-ray. And it's revealed some significant broken bones. We've learned that health access is a predicate of equal opportunity. We've learned that technology has changed the world significantly and access to broadband, access to people being able to acquire and have life-affirming jobs in this new economy. The world's changing very rapidly. There's work to be done, but that the future is indeed subjective. And we're going to need leaders here that help us all have that moonshot speech that allows us to create a government in a city that works for everyone post-pandemic. I would encourage us to recognize the fact that leaders aren't made because of titles. And just as I speak to those who might follow me, those who might serve as members of council, I also speak to our citizens asking them to not only pray for our city, advocate for our city, fight against the negativity, the cynicism of partisan politics and work to make this city what we know it can be. Everyone can lead. And I say that recognizing the foundation of this city, the foundation that it laid for me to have the opportunity to serve, the reality is that cafeteria workers, sanitation workers, teachers, college students laid the foundation for me to have the audacious idea that I want to serve as the first African-American mayor of this city. The foundation is strong men like Matthew Perry. And I'm going to say a few names because I know that a lot of us in this room are a lot younger than I am. I encourage you to go back, review this tape, get on Google, and learn a little bit about the men and women who helped shape this city. Matthew Perry, Mayor Lester, Bates, Hyman, Reuben. Obviously, we all know Jim Clyburn, IS Levy Johnson, and Kay Patterson. Today, we will later rest an amazing man, named Milton Kimson, who when I decided to run for mayor was the very first individual who told me, I've got your back. Go do it. You can do this. The very first. My deacon, laying to rest after 90 years of service to the people, men like John Roy Harper and Frank Washington, people like Dick Newman and the incredible Majesca Simkins, people like Luther Baptiste and E.W. Cromarty, who kicked down the doors for the first African-Americans to serve on this council. I mean, the names you won't know. But the reality is that they all laid the foundation. We stand on that foundation, and it's up to each and every one of us from this point forward to make sure that these beautiful, bright, talented, and gifted young people, these babies, have the opportunity to go off and do the amazing things that God has in store for them. I encourage you to lead, to take your job seriously, but not just up to seriously. I encourage you all to build non-traditional relationships. Again, realize that two people equally yoked can see the world very differently, respect different views, understand the power of words that words matter and kind words heal. I encourage you to remember that democracy is meant to feed citizens, not customers. We run the city incredibly efficiently. Some people would say that we run it like a business of occasionally, Jeff Palimps, we tap into the treasury occasionally. But democracy is supposed to feed citizens, and we have to realize that every single citizen of this city, regardless of whether or not they have wealth or stature, deserves a government that works for them every single day. I want to encourage people to not find fault but find remedies that solve problems together. I want to encourage each and every one of us to not mistake confidence with competence, but to embrace humility, become good at not knowing, because I believe that as we face these existential threats and they are, as we talk about issues of climate change and how the world is changing with technology and the future of work, or indeed the great pandemic that we're living in right now, people need leadership. And I'm hoping and praying at over these next 10 months that each and every one of us will tap into the leaders within us, and that Colombia will be stronger long after we leave the stage. That's it. I'm happy to tackle any questions that Joe might have. Please. Ladies first, whichever one of you would give this joke in, please. Certainly, it's possible. You never say never. I love public service. This is, obviously, you know my history. I started as a student activist at the University of South Carolina. And in one way, shape, or form, I was a cabinet secretary, certainly in this office, and very active in my private life, just as a chair elected the chamber on the Urban League Board or college boards. I've been active in helping shape the community in which I live. The opportunity to do that as a public citizen versus actually in office in which you have the power of everything from the public purse to an amazing group of thousands of public administrators and public servants that help you execute in the vision is always attractive to people who actually believe in the power of government to make change. So it certainly is possible. We'll never rule it out, but it is not on my agenda at all today. Yes, please. In the race for mayor? I may indeed, yes. I mean, you all know me. I mean, I try to call balls and strikes. And I'm usually fairly doggone transparent about how I feel about things. So I believe in one of the reasons why I'm stepping off of the stage, if you can go back and look historically, I believe I announced my intentions in August, September of 2009 for what was then an April election. Many of you will look back, 11, at the end of this term, I will have served God willing at 11 and a half years. We chopped six months off of our term to get back on the November election cycle. Elections used to be in April of odd years, Sam. I still don't understand that, but we tried to get it somewhere closer to where American democracy was. But the horizon was much shorter than one reason I'm stepping off of the stage and clearing the way for potential candidates now is I want the candidates to be able to articulate their vision for the city. I want to be able to observe the candidates sharing their ideas, see the record in coalition building and pulling people together. The narrative that I believe, still infirmly, is that we are one Columbia. There were not four districts. There were not different races, creeds, or colors. And if we are, then that is indeed not a weakness but a strength. And so I'm going to observe the candidates as one emerges that I believe lines up with my worldview, which I believe is inextricably intertwined with the health and future and prosperity of the city. I could indeed endorse yes, ma'am. It was only difficult, and for those who didn't hear the question, the question was how hard was decision? Chris said I've been toiling over it for some time. It was only a difficult decision because I love this job and I love this city. And I love the people who make up the city. So there's a sense when you come from the background that I've come from, and you all have heard me wax poetic about my mama and daddy for years, if God let me pick my own parents, I could have done better than Sam and Maggie Benjamin. I've been blessed beyond measure. And I consider the blessing to be able to continue to give of my time and my talents and my treasures to make in this city where it's a place where everyone has a chance to prosper. So the fact I love the city and I love serving as a leader in this city was difficult. But I'm a big believer in priorities in life. And in my life, I'm a child of God. I'm a husband and a father. And then I am mayor. And my faith and my love for my wife and our children come first. So keep your priorities in order. And I think if you continue doing that, it's amazing how it helps make you a better mayor, a better friend, a better everything else. So not an easy decision, but the right decision. There's so much that obviously still needs to be done. This is an iterative process where the world is literally changing so rapidly. I mean, there are trends that we've been monitoring and involved in studying over the last several years, watching how automation and AI and advanced machine learning is changing the future of work, how it's changing commercial real estate. And now we're doing that in the midst of the greatest pandemic since 1918. You'll have heard me talk about the greatest pandemic since 1918, the greatest economic disruption in the election year since 1932, greatest social unrest since 1968. We've been dealing with all that in one year. I firmly believe that with all the other things we have going, Clint, you're probably delivering on a couple hundred million dollars in infrastructure over the next few years. Harry is an amazing emergency management official, helping the CPD and the fire department in 911 manage through this pandemic, while also doing all the things that keeping him and his team busy. Jeff trying to figure out how to pay for all of it. Pam and Teresa doing what they do. The Boston almost around and I think Missy has everything else in her bailiwick and Henry somewhere in class right now. I'm not sure where he is in Lake City, I think, learning how to be an even better public administrator. There's so much going on right now that would be literally a full bucket, even if we weren't in the midst of a pandemic. But the reality is that the pandemic is our number one challenge right now. As we continue to move forward as policymakers, our number one goal has to be corraling this public health threat, saving lives, continuing to leave from the front in this battle and sometimes it's been a lonely place. But it's a place that we proudly stand because if we get the pandemic corraled as a city, as a state, as a country, then all other things will then take care of themselves. The economic threat, the educational crisis, so many of our children are in disconnected from schools. So our job number one over the next 10 months is addressing the pandemic and obviously all the other challenges that it's created. We got the team that can help do it. So I'm confident in that fact, but everything else is a distant second. I would tell my successor that the future is subjective, that it is indeed what we make it. I think so often we expect that things will be as they've always been and that is not the case. If it was the case, then we'd be in a pretty sad place. Columbia South Carolina is the place where the very first secession convention was held. There, our streets are colored with amazing stories of men and women, many of whom had nothing but their faith and their friends and family back in their play and they have literally changed this city. This city is indeed, I believe, the epitome of what it means to be a strong, inclusive city in a changing American South. It is now memorialized permanently in our city flag behind us in a meaningful way and you all have heard me speak so often about the words of Senator Trevay. I mean, I do believe that the press of all lands will find refuge under the wings of Columbia. This is a special place. So I would tell anyone who would seek to follow me that we're stronger when we're together and that as a city, we will either rise together or we'll fall together, always speaking inclusive terms. I encourage them to understand that there are three parties in America. You got Democrats, you got Republicans, you got mayors and it's so important to always stay focused on the interests of this city. If you do that, you can't go wrong. I get a sense that as soon as I leave this room, you're gonna start getting a bunch of emails from everywhere and I think there'll be some quality candidates and I'll let them adjudicate for themselves right now and we'll see how that goes. Yeah, you know what I said, thank you for the question. Greatest successes and challenges. Wow, the greatest successes and I think we're gonna have a press release that I tell myself I was gonna avoid my chamber or Rotary Club speech and because some of you can actually go to the litany just as I do. And the reality is that we had some challenging situations when we came into office. The city hadn't closed its books in two years. We needed to invest heavily in infrastructure. We needed to be able to show taxpayers and I'm not talking about running the city as a business but show taxpayers that we've been good stewards of their dollars and now six years running the government finance officers association award of excellence in financial reporting. Eight or less, 10 years I throw out last year. Last year was a dog year. You don't count the pandemic but eight or less, 10 years, budget surpluses. Investing heavily, not just in infrastructure but in most important asset in human infrastructure in public safety and the men and women who actually even in the midst of a pandemic have to come to work every single day to make sure that very basic services are rendered. We've invested in the people of the city to those from the outside looking in, they will think about the revitalization of Main Street. They will look at what seemed to be an intractable proposition of actually bringing the 181 acres of bull street into the public domain and the success that's occurring over there right now as a success that we brought professional sports back to Columbia with the Columbia Fireflies. There's a lot to crow about and actually have a list here for you. So you'll be able to walk out and look to some of it but I believe that our greatest success, success is. One is that we've always stayed on message of the fact that we can only do this if we do it together. That even at times when the dialogue was difficult, when the nature of our discussions could at times be divisive, that we remain committed to the fact that we were gonna advance forward as a city to get the spirit of one Columbia and the spirit of inclusion and that we're stronger when we're together. And then I would say the other greatest challenge slash success is that when faced with a crisis, no one steps up like Columbia does, no one. I mean, if it's protests around the Confederate battle flag or historic floods or the way in which we deal with some of the most difficult social issues of our time that the men and women 2200 plus strong of the municipal corporation surrounded by the hundreds of thousands in the city and in region, we know how to come together when the going gets rough. We're built of something different. Often referred to the strength of our ancestors. And I think that's when the very best of us comes out. I'm very proud of that. Time's up, y'all. Someone's alarm saying it's time to get out of here. Thank you. I'm not gone yet. December 31st, however I will be. We got a lot of territory to cover between now and then I remain committed to the fact of obviously being open and transparent and available to you all. I think you all know that. This is a time in which we live where I think some people have come to appreciate the importance of the fourth estate more than ever. I wanna thank you all for the work that you've done over the last year, particularly as we've worked hard to get good, reliable, trustworthy information out to people as they navigate through this pandemic. I'm thankful to the press. Let's continue to rock and roll together the next several months. God bless y'all. Tina Herbert, how are you? Ha ha ha ha.