By Paul Alongi; Tribune-Times Writer (Wednesday, September 11, 2013 – Page 3A)
Taft Matney says he is running for City Council in his hometown of Mauldin to more aggressively recruit business, rebuild shrinking recreation programs and lure visitors from the nearby auto research park.
Matney, a public relations and governmental affairs consultant, is challenging incumbent Patricia Gettys for Seat 1 in the Nov. 5 election.
What Matney said he likes best about Mauldin is its potential. What upsets him most is seeing that potential unrealized, he said. Matney, 40, said he is frustrated that the city has lost opportunities to grow as Greenville has expanded to the north and Simpsonville has spread to the south. While Mauldin has embraced the concept of being business-friendly, the approach hasn’t happened, he said. The city has relied heavily on economic development groups that focus on the Upstate and Greenville County as a whole, but not specifically on Mauldin, he said.
“We need to get in front of corporate executives and show them, this is what Mauldin has,” Matney said. Matney said he chose to run for Seat 1 because his interests fit with Gettys’ assignments on the Economic Development, Public Safety and Recreation committees.
Many of his clients are in public safety, Matney said, and his 9-year-old son, Trey, plays sports on the same fields he did years ago. Matney said 2,200 children were playing baseball in the city four years ago but that number has slipped to about 1,000. The city ought to have a pre-eminent recreation program, he said.
Matney said he also wants to give motorists a reason to head to Mauldin when they leave the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research.
An important piece, he said, is the City Center plan that would create a downtown-type development just north of City Hall. Matney said existing business owners can be integrated into the plan, which he said he helped develop as a member of the planning committee.
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