Leslie Skardon City Council Swearing-in Remarks
Please see below for my remarks in front of City Council on Tuesday, January 13, 2026. The full swearing-in can be viewed here starting at minute 11.
First and foremost, I want to start with gratitude. Thank you Chief Justice, Mr. Mayor and fellow Council Members – I am excited to work with you! I could not have done this without my husband, Sam Skardon. You are the best partner and father I could have ever asked for. Thank you to our boys – Lewis and Lawson. You are the light of our lives. Thank you to my parents – my Charleston family, and of course, our incredible volunteers, and the voters of District 12. Service to you all is my top priority.
Lucky for you all, I wrote this to be a short speech with the attention span of our four-year-old boys in mind. Because if they are not already running around City Hall, they likely will be soon. There are three items I want to touch on: Service; A moral obligation to the future of the city; And a theory of government.
First: Service.
I want to start with a quick story. The bible that I was just sworn-in with belonged to the Reverend Stephen Skardon – my husband’s grandfather. It was given to him in 1947 on his ordination into priesthood and was used at the groundbreakings of housing projects, schools, medical clinics, churches and community service initiative all over the Lowcountry. Both sides of our families come from a line of service to others and a deep belief that we should all make the world a little better before we leave it.
That belief in service is why I ran for City Council. I believe that City Council should be your first call – whether it is a pot hole or flooded ditch or unsafe intersection – we are here to serve our community and our constituents.
These are not glamorous issues – but they are the building blocks of our communities, and at the end of the day, they all come back to quality of life and safety. As some of you may know, I kept a list of every issue I heard about on the campaign. Now I knocked 4,000 doors, so that list is long, and I’ve already started working with staff at every level of government to provide solutions.
And, as my husband knows well, once something is on my list, I do not rest until it gets done. I have been so impressed by the City and staff’s commitment to customer service – our constituents are our neighbors and customers, and I will bring the same drive, focus and determination to fixing these issues as I have brought to every other aspect of my life.
Second, A Moral Obligation to the Future of Charleston
This City is a team, and I am here to work with Council, the Mayor and staff as we plan for the future of this City. When I think of City Council, it isn’t just service to neighbors, but it also ensuring a future where our boys can come visit or live here in 30-years.
Beyond intersections and sidewalks and ditches and recreation updates, there are existential issues facing the city, including flooding and housing. We have a moral obligation to address those issues now to ensure a safer and better future for every resident. We cannot be afraid to ‘think big’ just because conventional wisdom has told us ‘no.’ We must be bold in our solutions:
We should think of ways to connect James Island to the Ashely River Pedestrian Bridge.
We should seriously consider better ways to get cars off of James Island, including a flyover between the Connector and the Crosstown.
We must be thinking of ways to connect a rapidly growing Cainhoy to downtown.
We must improve life so every resident regardless of what neighborhood they are born in has the chance to succeed.
Theory of Government
So, how will we do this? This brings me to a theory of government. In this era of our country, we know there is deep skepticism of government. I believe part of this frustration comes from people too often being told why something cannot be done: there is not enough funding; there is too much red tape; or it is not that particular department’s or jurisdiction’s responsibility. I am so excited about serving on Council, because I do believe that local government CAN make a difference.
I believe that part of leadership is always providing solutions. It is understanding how the system works, and when there is an obstacle, bringing a sense of innovation, determination and entrepreneurship to make the system better. It is about bringing together the right stakeholders to build coalitions to change the status quo to deliver results.
Throughout my career I have been coached that you never simply state a problem - you bring a solution and recommendation. I will work every day to find ways to ‘yes,’ so we can deliver the quality of life that every resident deserves.
In summary, thank you for this opportunity. I am here to serve and be part of an amazing group of leaders to ensure the future of our city for generations to come. I am here to get to ‘yes,’ and deliver results not only for James Island, but our City. Thank you.