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Record of Proceedings

Spartanburg City Council Meeting - February 9, 2026: Crime Report, Rezoning, and Swearing-In

City Council Meetings — Monday, February 9, 2026
BodySpartanburg, South Carolina
SessionCity Council Meetings
DateMonday, February 9, 2026
StatusFILED
Video Record
0:00 / 1:45:08

Transcript — Verbatim
1:43

Let us bring the City of Spartanburg City Council meeting to order.

1:48

We're gonna stand for a moment of silence, and then we're gonna be led by the pledge of allegiance by the uh Dukes and Duchess, Baron and Baroness, uh princes and prince and princesses, Jack and Gill here with Spartanburg in a pledge of allegiance.

2:08

You guys are gonna lead us, okay?

2:09

All right, let's stand for a moment of silence.

2:32

So you guys gonna tell us what to do.

2:37

Do we have one one specific that can come up with good?

2:46

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, which is just one nation, by God, and this school with liberty and justice for all.

3:02

Thank you.

3:09

Before we go to item three, uh, I I will have an opportunity to speak tomorrow about civic engagement.

3:18

And just to the young people that are here today, I want you to know what you're doing here today, this evening is truly civic engagement.

3:27

Finding out what's going on in your city, listening to elected officials and also willing to make a change wherever you know it may happen for you at school or at church or in the playgrounds.

3:40

But uh I want you guys to know that it's great to see you all coming and uh that you are making a difference here in Spartanburg.

3:48

So thank you for being here tonight.

3:50

So with that we have item three.

3:52

The swearing in of City Council member Erica Brown.

3:56

So uh Erica, she gonna take her time going down.

4:02

The honorable Erica Brown, Councilwoman of District uh six.

4:06

Oath of office administered by Miss Natalie uh Britz Brown.

4:13

Assisted by Abigail Riley.

4:34

Hi, Erica Brown, do you solemnly swear?

4:41

That I am duly qualified according to the Constitution of the State of South Carolina to exercise the duties of the office.

4:54

And that I will to the best of my ability.

5:01

Discharge the duties thereof.

5:03

And preserve, protect, and defend.

5:05

And preserve, protect, and defend.

5:07

The constitution of this state.

5:09

The constitution of this state.

5:11

And the United States of America.

5:13

And the United States of America.

5:15

And I do further solemnly swear.

5:17

And I do further solemnly swear.

5:19

That as a council member for the municipality of Spartan.

5:23

That as a council member for the municipality of Spartanburg.

5:26

I will equally fairly and impartially.

5:29

I will equally fairly and impartially.

5:31

To the best of my ability and skill.

5:33

To the best of my ability and skill.

5:35

Exercise the trust.

5:37

Exercise the trust.

5:41

Proposed.

5:43

Proposed in me.

5:44

And I will use my best endeavors to preserve.

5:48

And I will use my best endeavors to preserve the peace, support, and defend.

5:53

The peace deport support and defend.

5:56

The interest of the citizens of this city.

5:58

The interest of the citizens of the city.

6:01

And carry into effect.

6:02

And carry into effect.

6:04

According to the law.

6:05

According to the law.

6:06

The purposes for which I've been elected.

6:08

The purposes for which I've been elected.

6:10

Thanks.

6:34

Had to go and make sure that I had my own special day.

6:44

Be amongst my colleagues and everyone here today.

6:48

First and foremost, thank you.

6:50

Thank you to the voters of Spartanburg City and especially District 6 for placing your trust in me once again.

6:56

I'm deeply grateful for your support, your confidence, and the opportunity to continue serving our community.

7:02

Serving on Spartanburg City Council has truly been one of the greatest honors of my life.

7:07

From the very beginning, you welcomed me into your neighborhoods, shared your hopes and concerns, and challenged me to lead with integrity, compassion, and purpose.

Discussion Breakdown — Share of Meeting
Public Safety██████████████████████████████████████████42%
Community Engagement█████████████13%
Homelessness███████████11%
Economic Development███████████11%
Procedural██████████10%
Public Engagement█████5%
Youth Programs████4%
Engineering And Infrastructure███3%
Transportation Safety█1%
Summary of Proceedings

Spartanburg City Council Meeting - February 9, 2026

The Spartanburg City Council met on February 9, 2026, to swear in Councilwoman Erica Brown for District 6, receive the 2025 crime statistics report from Police Chief Alonzo Thompson, and take action on several property-related items. The meeting also included council updates and a brief executive session.

Consent Calendar

  • Approval of Minutes: The minutes of the January 12, 2026 City Council meeting were approved unanimously.
  • Approval of Agenda: The agenda for the February 9, 2026 meeting was approved unanimously.

Public Comments & Testimony

  • No public comments were offered. Several individuals who had registered for a previous canceled meeting did not appear.

Discussion Items

  • Swearing-In of Councilwoman Erica Brown: The Honorable Erica Brown was sworn in to represent District 6. In her remarks, she thanked voters and expressed commitment to inclusive development, equitable investment, and continued progress in Spartanburg.
  • 2025 Crime Statistics Presentation: Chief Alonzo Thompson and Deputy Chief Jennifer Kendall presented the annual crime report. Key data included:
    • 2025 was the safest year in 29 years for benchmark crimes.
    • Index crimes were 22% below the 10-year average (2,148 incidents vs. a 10-year average of about 2,754).
    • Property crimes were 25% below the 10-year average; 70% of theft-from-vehicle reports and 49% of burglary reports showed no signs of forced entry.
    • Violent crimes were 2% below the 10-year average; 76% of violent crimes were aggravated assaults, with 57 involving firearms and 21% domestic or child-related.
    • Stolen firearms from vehicles increased from 129 in 2024 to 143 in 2025; 63% of those stolen from vehicles showed no signs of forced entry.
    • Calls related to homelessness rose 31% over a five-year average; the most common offense among homeless individuals was trespassing (99 incidents in 2025 vs. 47 in 2024).
    • Juvenile arrests increased: 60% in one category to 8% in another, totaling 68% for 2025.
    • Hotspots included areas near Dorman Center, West WOEZL Boulevard/East Blackstock Road, and intersections near Crescent Avenue, Pine Needle Drive, and others.
    • Councilmembers discussed the need for increased patrols in certain areas (notably the south side), youth engagement strategies, data on juvenile victims, and partnerships with other law enforcement agencies. Chief Thompson emphasized the importance of community involvement and secure firearm storage.
  • Resolution for Abandoned Building Revitalization: A resolution certifying the property at Mandela Lane as an abandoned building under South Carolina law was approved unanimously, allowing the owner to apply for state income tax credits for renovation.
  • Ordinance for Lease/Sale of Property at 362 Union Street: The council approved (first reading) an ordinance authorizing a lease-purchase agreement with Lemonade Check LLC for a vacant city-owned lot to be used as parking for a bakery business at 388 Union Street. The five-year lease will allow the city to assess the viability of the business and future PAL connection.
  • Public Hearing and Rezoning Ordinance: A public hearing was held for the rezoning of 1619 John B. White Sr. Boulevard from R-15 (single-family residential) to B-1 (neighborhood shopping district) to accommodate a proposed Dutch Brothers coffee shop. No public speakers appeared for or against. The planning commission had unanimously recommended approval. Council approved the first reading; a second reading is scheduled for February 23, 2026.

Key Outcomes

  • Unanimously approved: Consent calendar items, resolution for abandoned building revitalization (Mandela Lane), lease/sale ordinance (first reading) for 362 Union Street, and rezoning ordinance (first reading) for 1619 John B. White Sr. Boulevard.
  • Executive Session: Council moved into executive session; no details were reported.
  • Next Steps: The rezoning ordinance will return for second reading on February 23, 2026. Staff will compile additional data on juvenile crimes and firearms stolen from vehicles used in later crimes.

Meeting Transcript

Let us bring the City of Spartanburg City Council meeting to order. We're gonna stand for a moment of silence, and then we're gonna be led by the pledge of allegiance by the uh Dukes and Duchess, Baron and Baroness, uh princes and prince and princesses, Jack and Gill here with Spartanburg in a pledge of allegiance. You guys are gonna lead us, okay? All right, let's stand for a moment of silence. So you guys gonna tell us what to do. Do we have one one specific that can come up with good? I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic, which is just one nation, by God, and this school with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. Before we go to item three, uh, I I will have an opportunity to speak tomorrow about civic engagement. And just to the young people that are here today, I want you to know what you're doing here today, this evening is truly civic engagement. Finding out what's going on in your city, listening to elected officials and also willing to make a change wherever you know it may happen for you at school or at church or in the playgrounds. But uh I want you guys to know that it's great to see you all coming and uh that you are making a difference here in Spartanburg. So thank you for being here tonight. So with that we have item three. The swearing in of City Council member Erica Brown. So uh Erica, she gonna take her time going down. The honorable Erica Brown, Councilwoman of District uh six. Oath of office administered by Miss Natalie uh Britz Brown. Assisted by Abigail Riley. Hi, Erica Brown, do you solemnly swear? That I am duly qualified according to the Constitution of the State of South Carolina to exercise the duties of the office. And that I will to the best of my ability. Discharge the duties thereof. And preserve, protect, and defend. And preserve, protect, and defend. The constitution of this state. The constitution of this state. And the United States of America. And the United States of America. And I do further solemnly swear. And I do further solemnly swear. That as a council member for the municipality of Spartan. That as a council member for the municipality of Spartanburg. I will equally fairly and impartially. I will equally fairly and impartially. To the best of my ability and skill. To the best of my ability and skill. Exercise the trust. Exercise the trust. Proposed. Proposed in me. And I will use my best endeavors to preserve. And I will use my best endeavors to preserve the peace, support, and defend. The peace deport support and defend. The interest of the citizens of this city. The interest of the citizens of the city. And carry into effect. And carry into effect. According to the law. According to the law.

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