Still Waiting For Forensic Audit Report: Let’s Look At The Role A Mayor Played In Charleston

For years it has been said that a mayor can only do so much, that the role is largely ceremonial, ribbon cuttings, speeches, appearances, a steady hand but little real influence. I have never believed that, and the story of Charleston in the late twentieth century proves why that assumption is wrong

Mainstreetrockymount.com is honoring Joseph P. Riley Jr., who led Charleston for four decades (elected in 1975, serving through 2016).

In the 1990s, Charleston did not merely preserve its historic fabric, it governed as if beauty, scale, walkability, and memory were part of the city’s public trust, that posture did not happen by accident, it was shaped by a mayor who understood that preservation is not nostalgia, it is policy, and that leadership is measured not only by what is approved, but by what is protected.

Riley redefined what a mayor can do by moving beyond management and into vision, resolve, and purpose, he brought a truer understanding of what the office itself can be.

That understanding took shape across the entire city, not in isolated restorations, but in a deliberate design and preservation posture that guided Charleston’s future, Riley backed preservationists in major development fights, insisted on scale, walkability, and compatibility with the historic city, and treated those decisions as matters of governance rather than taste.

The waterfront was reclaimed as a public realm and civic commons, parks and public spaces became anchors of daily life, arts and culture were embraced as partners in preservation, ensuring Charleston remained a living city rather than a museum.

Even in moments of crisis and recovery, leadership held to the long view, reinforcing the city’s character. This was not ribbon cutting leadership, it was governing.

The lesson Charleston offers is not about one city’s good fortune, it is about the power of the mayoral office when it is fully claimed. Riley redefined what a mayor can do by moving beyond management and into vision, resolve, and purpose. He brought a truer understanding of what the office itself can be.

Cities do not drift into coherence, they are shaped by choices, priorities, and the courage to insist that some things matter more than expedience, Charleston’s future changed because its leadership believed the past was worth defending, and acted accordingly.

The spirit of Joe Riley lives on, woven into the streets and spaces he helped shape. His legacy is not just Charleston’s beauty, but the example he set of what is possible, that those who hold this office are capable of more than they might imagine.

I have long admired the foresight of his leadership, the steadiness of his vision, and the way he understood preservation not as sentiment, but as responsibility. Leadership rooted in care and resolve can lift an entire city.

Did you miss reading the blog: How We Do It: Restoring Citywide Accountability in Rocky Mount? Click on: https://mainstreetrockymount.com