Hi, my name is Jim Moore and I have the honor of serving as your Saluda County Council Chairman. In this race, I want to speak plainly and respectfully about my opponent and about myself.
First, I want you to know this. Andrew Johnson is a fine man. He has real skills and talents, and I believe he has much to offer. But up to now, he has never offered those abilities in service to Saluda County. He has not served on our local boards or commissions. He has not held any office or taken on the day-to-day responsibilities that come with governing here at home.
My sincere hope is that whether he wins or loses this election, he will step forward and invest those talents in Saluda’s future because our county desperately needs more citizens to do just that. We need people willing to serve on boards and commissions. We need people willing to run for school boards and county offices. We need people who will roll up their sleeves and share the work.
That’s the path I took.
I came to Saluda High School and taught ROTC for many years, working with our young people and getting to know their families. I then served seven years on the school board, learning how to handle tough decisions and budgets and public accountability.
When our much beloved chairman, Jerry Strawbridge, passed away while in office, I was elected to fill his unexpired term on county council. and I have been honored to serve you through my first full term as chairman.
There is a steep learning curve in stepping into the role of county council chairman. Fortunately for me, I was retired and able to spend many hours learning my job.
I have had successes and I have had disappointments. I have made mistakes and I have worked hard to correct the ones I could.
Now, with one full term of learning under my belt, I want to put that knowledge and those hard-earned new skills to work for Saluda County.
So, as you consider your vote, I’m asking you to consider my years of service to Saluda County and the advantage of the experience I can immediately bring to the job. If you believe experienced, steady leadership matters, I humbly ask for your support and your vote so we can keep moving Saluda County forward together.
Thank you, and may God continue to bless Saluda County.
And don’t forget, when you see my little red truck at office, stop in and see me.
