Vote Jenny Honeycutt for Charleston County Council

Jenny Honeycutt will be an excellent County Council representative for James Island.   She is from James Island and a resident of the Town.   She is bright and articulate.   She listens to people and wants to solve problems.  I believe she will be a strong advocate for James Island and all of district 9 on County Council.   Please join me in voting for Jenny Honeycutt on Tuesday.   

Vote Peter McCoy for SC House of Representatives

Peter McCoy is a James Islander.   We can count on him to work for our community in Columbia.   He directed $200,000 of state funds to help with our new sidewalk on Dills Bluff and with the new Town.    Thank you.   He has always supported giving James Islanders in the unincorporated area the opportunity to vote to join the Town of James Island.    He has persuaded some of the political leadership of the state to support our effort.    When I have asked for his help with drainage issues on South Carolina Department of Transportation roads in the Town, he has always come through for us.   Please join me in voting to reelect Peter McCoy to the South Carolina House of Representatives.

September Meeting of James Island Public Service District

Meredith Poston for JIPSD Commissioner

Meredith Poston is a good choice for James Island Public Service District Commissioner.   Meredith has represented the Centerville community on the James Island Neighborhood Council.    She is frequently found at community events taking photos.   A former reporter for the James Island Messenger, she attended many Commission meetings and has followed with concern Commission practices.  She is open minded and willing to consider Town proposals to share the cost of needed necessary expenditures.  Please consider Meredith Poston for JIPSD Commissioner.

Vote Keane Steele for JIPSD Commissioner

Keane Steele is an excellent choice for James Island Public Service District Commissioner.  Keane graduated from The Citadel with a degree in civil engineering and also earned a Masters Degree.   Supervising major construction projects, he will be able to provide effective oversight and make sure that JIPSD construction is cost efficient.   This includes the proposed $8 million fire station.   Keane has explained that this looks like a very high cost for the space and substantial savings are possible.  More importantly, the sewer infrastructure is aging and repair and replacement is necessary.    Keane will provide the expertise that will minimize the impact on monthly sewer bills.    I am confident that Keane will work with the Town to provide alternatives to ever increasing property taxes.  Please consider Keane Steele for JIPSD Commissioner.

Town Council Approves Island-Wide Drainage Basin Delineation Agreement

James Island Town Council unanimously approved an intergovernmental agreement with the City of Charleston and Charleston County for an Island-wide drainage basin delineation.   The City of Charleston has already signed the agreement.   It now goes to Charleston County for final approval.

The plan is that Charleston County will manage a consultant contract with Thomas and Hutton, and the Town, County, and City will share in the cost based upon the area of each jurisdiction on James Island.  The Town will pay 24% of the total cost, which amounts to $13,645.

The consultants will delineate approximately thirty drainage basins on James Island.   The drainage infrastructure, such as ditches and pipes, owned by all jurisdictions will be included--Town, County, City and SCDOT.  This will allow drainage maps of James Island that show all infrastructure for the first time.  (Current Town maps show no City infrastructure even when our ditches and pipes interconnect with theirs.   Our maps show Town, County, and SCDOT infrastructure in the Town and unincorporated area.) 

The consultants will also look for opportunities to make cost effective improvements that will benefit many residents.   This project should be complete in approximately six months. 

This is only the first step.   Elected officials representing James Island will then pursue further analysis of particular basins.   The result will be a road map for future drainage improvements.  The long run goal is to determine what is needed for all of James Island. 

This is an important milestone in intergovernmental cooperation on James Island.

Vote Marilyn Clifford for JIPSD Commissioner

Marilyn Clifford will be an excellent addition to the James Island Public Service District Commission.   Marilyn served for many years as the representative from Centerville on the James Island Neighborhood Council.   A graduate of James Island High School, she also has a college degree in business administration.    She is the senior paralegal for a local law firm.   She will be able to represent the people of James Island effectively as she helps oversee the complicated budget and legal issues facing the District.    Marilyn is best known for her service to James Island Veterans organizations and for singing the national anthem at Lowcountry events.   She understands the need to limit property tax increases and also supports the effort to give residents in the unincorporated areas of James Island an opportunity to return to the Town.   Please support Marilyn Clifford for JIPSD Commissioner.

Elect Alan Laughlin JIPSD Commissioner

Alan Laughlin has a long record of volunteer service to James Island. Most notably, he served as Chairman of the James Island Neighborhood Council for many years. He is also a long time volunteer for the Community Emergency Response Team, serving first as leader for James Island and Folly Beach and now Deputy Director for the Lowcountry. He has the training and experience needed to work with the JIPSD fire chief, who serves as incident commander for all of James Island, preparing our people for emergencies such as the growing threat of storms and flood. For the last four years, he has attended all the James Island Public Service District Commission meetings. He has detailed knowledge of the JIPSD budget.   He is a retired Associate Hospital Administrator with a Masters in business administration. A Navy Vet, he is also the product of James Island public schools.   Alan understands the need to limit JIPSD property tax increases, and I am confident he will work with the Town on new funding solutions. A long time supporter of the Town, including a turn on the James Island Election Commission, we can count on him to support efforts to give residents of the unincorporated area of James Island an opportunity to rejoin the Town of James Island. Please give Alan Laughlin your vote for James Island Public Service District Commissioner.  Help him by sharing and liking Alan's facebook page.

More Trouble on Greenhill Road

The Town responded to the murder on Greenhill Road last summer by expanding the Island Sheriff's patrol by 50% and our coordinator, Sheriff's Deputy Sergeant Shawn James, has focused efforts on the "Down the Island" community.   Sadly, we had a second murder this fall and just last week, two were injured in a shooting.

The Town's goal has been to deter criminal activity.   The continued gun violence in the community shows that has not been fully effective.   Still, there has been improvement.   There has been strong cooperation by the community resulting in prompt arrests.   The more recent murderer was soon arrested and the two shooters from last week were taken into custody after two days.

Mayor Tecklenburg has offered the help of the Charleston City Police. While most of the Down the Island community is in the Town, as usual, there are a few residents who had annexed to the City.  Also, as usual, there are a number of new City developments on Dills Bluff and Fort Johnson bordering on the Down the Island community.

The Chief Deputy of the Sheriff's Office and the City Policy Chief are planning a coordinated effort with the Town's Island Sheriff's Patrol.   I hope that we will develop a memorandum of agreement between the Town and the City so that we can deepen law enforcement cooperation on James Island.

The James Island Neighborhood Council is also working on the problem;  Henrietta Martin represents the community on the neighborhood council.   There are street captains throughout the community.   They are working with the Town to target abandoned buildings and overgrown vacant lots.   Not only are these unsightly, cleaning up the area is a matter of public safety.

The Town just completed a sidewalk project on Seaside Lane and is already obtaining easements to improve drainage.   I strongly support a program of community improvement along with a commitment to continued law enforcement.

Vote Inez Brown-Crouch for JIPSD

Inez Brown Crouch has served our community for many years.   She serves with James Island Pride, on the James Island Arts Council, and the James Island Historical Commission.  She voted against the excessive 13% tax increase.  She willing to work with the Town to limit the burden on taxpayers while maintaining quality service.   She supports giving all residents of the JIPSD the opportunity to join the Town.  Inez deserves your vote.  Please return her to the James Island Public Service District Commission.