Seeking the office of Saluda County Council Chairman
Folks can sum up my message with three main ideas: fiscal accountability, public safety, and protecting the county’s rural character.
Fiscal Responsibility and Taxpayer Accountability: I have challenged the current administration’s handling of the budget and borrowing, and I’ve said we need to prioritize essential services—like road repairs and emergency response—over other new construction projects. Being responsible with our borrowing will protect the Saluda County Millage rates and I’d also like to make sure that every tax dollar is spent with maximum transparency.
Public Safety: I will prioritize emergency response from both our EMS and Law Enforcement. I will work with our EMS and with the Saluda County Sheriff’s Office to address low pay and to address deputy staffing and providing competitive pay to retain quality first responders. Infrastructure is important, but I won’t put buildings over badges
Protecting our Rural Heritage and facilitating smart and controlled Growth: Saluda’s rural identity, woods and waters are its greatest asset. Uncontrolled growth can be a disaster for roads and communities – but “smart growth” supports local agriculture and prevents over-development from neighboring Lexington or Aiken counties. To do this, I’d like us to use zoning and land use policies as a shield to protect our quality of life while attracting only high-value, sustainable economic development. I’d also use zoning to prevent unwelcome interests like data centers from consuming our water and polluting our air and land.
Transparency and “People First” leadership: Much of the community dissatisfaction with County Council could be remedied by fully communicating Council’s plans to voters, as well as making public documents more readily available. Some very smart and helpful county employees have now started moving in this direction on their own to get facts to voters. I believe County Council should hold regular town halls and make County Council minutes and financial audits more accessible to the public. If I’m selected to be your Chairman, I won’t forget that I work for the people, and I’ll double down on making sure you are informed.
Infrastructure Planning Without Maximum Debt: I’d like our County to assess how far we’ve come, decide on affordable goals, and use a “back-to-basics” approach to infrastructure. Instead of pursuing new bond referendums that increase the county’s debt load, I think we can propose a more aggressive plan for maintaining existing roads and bridges by cutting waste in the administrative budget.
June 9th is a critical point in the future of Saluda where we either take a conservative approach to borrowing, or remain in as much debt as the law allows! I trust the people of Saluda to make smart choices so both our children and our grandchildren can all look forward to a positive future here in Saluda County!
