Bobo says it's 'time' for second city council run

The Weekly Observer (TWO): What made you decide to run for a council position?

BOBO: “I’ve ran before… but it’s time. We can’t complain if we don’t take a part in what’s going on. I found it fitting that it was time…

Now, there are a couple of facts that I want to put out there.

Fact one, I am running to represent all the citizens of Johnsonville. No, there’s never been in the history of Johnsonville an African American to serve on the council… But, people have a knack and people are who they are… “He just running to represent a certain race.” My answer to them is very simple: diversity has its place, but I am running to represent all the citizens…

One of the things that we must realize (is) that no matter how much we want things to remain the same, things change. Johnsonville has a lot of catching up to do. If you look in the perspective areas, there’s growth. We need to take the time to work as a team to see what we can do to attract jobs in the area. Many of the people that reside here, they work out of town, they take transit, they do what they have to do to keep food on the table."

TWO: What’ s your perception of the current council as a whole? How would you rate the job that they’ve done.

BOBO: “Well, that’s kind of a hard question because I do not know in their bylaws what they have planned for the future. It’s really kind of hard. But I would say a B-minus… Because, I’m a life long resident here and I haven’t seen a whole lot of stride… there hasn’t been a whole lot of growth in the area for whatever reason.”

TWO: If you were elected, what personal attributes would you bring to the council?

BOBO: “There again, I’m representing the citizens of Johnsonville. I will create a diverse council because whether it is talked about or not, Johnsonville is now multi-cultured. We have Spanish, African-Americans, of course Caucasian, Indians… whereas, sometimes the main problem is not understanding each other. Working together, teamwork, as a team, and just seeing what we can do to better the area… Attracting industry, doing what we have to do. Sometimes we get into, where, “Well, we don’t need that, because somebody owns this. Or, we don’t need that because somebody owns this and that may hurt their business.

As a business major, that’s what we call competition.”

TWO: Where do you stand on the issue involving bringing the statue of Revolutionary War Gen. Francis Marion to Venters Landing, just outside the city limits?

BOBO: “The controversial statue issue, here’s where I am… I understand the fact of what was spoke by Brad (Richardson) that we do need industry and people are having hard times… but at the end of the day we must remember, it’s OK to agree to disagree, and whether we agree or not, history has it’s place. We may not agree what the history is, but it does have its place…

If there’s anything that I may have, would have done differently… I feel as though maybe (citizens) felt… they weren’t included. So, inclusion might have helped the situation in that.

The only thing different I would do, if it is going to come, these are ever changing times. People do wild things. With a statue of that amount, I don’t think I would have placed it where it’s going (Venters Landing). I think I would have considered placing it by the new library, and or maybe at the traffic light (on 41/51), there’s a little mini park there, because it’s a big investment for safety issues.

A lot of things happen when we don’t sit down and reason together. We come to understandings when we reason together.”

TWO: Turning to the economy, what do you think can be done to attract economic opportunity to Johnsonville?

BOBO: “Being new, I would have to study the issues and see what strides they (businesses) have made. Of course, you have to have the water settings, you have to have the available land in order for them (businesses) to go to. And then we would have to work as a team and come up with some kind of idea where we could… sell ourselves. This is a good area to locate. That’s what we need to do.

But first of all, I would have to get with them to see what strides they had made. The wrong thing to do is to charge in, “we need to do this , do this and do this” when you don’t understand fully what strides have already been made.”

TWO: What other important issues do you think need to be addressed?

BOBO: “Well, it’s definitely the economy, job opportunities is first and foremost. Way to attract industry, growth. Anything to attract growth, I’m 100-percent behind that.

Maybe more housing for low income families, things of that nature… But it’s basically being able to communicate and work as a team and get things accomplish, rather than the bickering back and fourth.”

TWO: You mentioned housing earlier. An issue that is going on with the council right now is manufactured housing. The council last year put a moratorium on any manufactured housing coming into the community and just recently they discussed considering rezoning all R-3 lots to R-3A lots, which would prohibit any manufactured housing being placed on those lots. What’s your opinion on that?

BOBO: “We have to be mindful. Because, at the end of the day, it is America. People work hard and it’s their money… and it’s there property. They have the right to build, as long as it’s not offending or hurting anybody, they should have the right to build in place, whatever they wish to place on that property.

If’ its already grandfathered where in a certain area, there will be no mobile homes, then let it remain. But if it hadn’t already been, then don’t do it. Give these people the opportunity to live the American dream.

I’m all about the future, what we have to realize is that some of us are caught up in the here and now, but the picture is much bigger than that. The picture is about the future of the children, the future of the grandchildren. What do you want to become? Do you want a place that just remains the same? What may work now may not work in 20-years. We must look in to the future for those that are coming up ahead of us. If given the opportunity, I will serve the City of Johnsonville to the best of my ability.”