Councilman David Black is in his first term and has been serving Forest Acres since 2021.
David Black knows Forest Acres. As he likes to say, he is a third-generation Forest Acres resident. After graduating A.C. Flora and The Citadel with a degree in political science, he moved to Washington, D.C., to work on Capitol Hill. But the ten-hour, round-trip drive to visit family left him and his wife wanting to move back home to Forest Acres.
He now lives on the very same street he grew up on. His younger brother and his family live around the corner, as does his grandmother.
“I know the area. I know the issues, and I feel like we can do even better than we’ve done in the past.”
That’s why Black decided to run for city council. He comes with a wealth of government experience from years working various roles serving elected officials in the United States Senate and the House of Representatives.
“My experience working in government for so many years behind the scenes is this: I knew how to get things done from being fiscally responsible working within the nation’s budget to policy initiatives. Helping people out--that’s really what I want to do. I want to help get through the red tape to get things done. Returning to Forest Acres, I see a need for infrastructure improvements from fixing potholes and updating our sidewalks. I’m tired of steel plates in the road, aging infrastructure; the state and the county have let us down on modernizing our services.
“I also really want greater involvement on commissions. I want to hear from our community, and I want to foster more participation on city projects.”
He’s most looking forward to seeing the new Forest Acres Park come to fruition during his term, and is hopeful the mall property will finally be redeveloped.
When he and his wife aren’t working, they enjoy watching their two sons play sports or ride bikes on the same streets David grew up on. The boys attend the same Forest Acres elementary school that their dad did, too.
“I’m excited for the direction Forest Acres is going. We love raising our family here and want to continue to make Forest Acres family-focused. We have a great quality of life, top-notch schools, prime businesses, and beautiful green spaces. I don’t think there has been a better time than right now to live in Forest Acres."