Post and Courier: Incumbents Ousted in Sullivan's Elections

Four fresh faces win seats on Sullivan’s Town Council 

Prentiss Findlay

Sullivan’s Island — The Town Council will have a majority made up of newcomers voted into office Tuesday, according to unofficial results.

The new council members are Bachman Smith IV, Rita Langley, Mark Howard and Sarah Church. Incumbents Jerry Kaynard and Mary Jane Watson lost bids for re-election.

Smith, Langley and Howard were elected to four-year terms. Church won the unexpired two-year-term of Councilman Pat O’Neil who was victorious in a special election for mayor in January.

Voter turnout Tuesday was 42 percent and results will be certified Thursday, said Robie Scott, chairwoman of the island election commission

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In the race for four-year terms, Smith got 487 votes, Langley 402, Howard 357, Watson 287 and Kaynard 233. For the two-year seat, Church received 397 votes to Dave Spurgin’s 246, Scott said.

“I feel like a lot of the folks on the island were frustrated with a little bit of inertia, a little bit of gridlock,” Smith said.

The Council has seven members including the mayor.

Controversy surrounding the design of the new, much larger elementary school galvanized some folks as far as questions of Council accountability and transparency, he said. “There was a feeling that there needed to be some fresh thinking, some fresh ideas,” Smith said.

Resident Barbara Spell said after she voted that the island needs a comprehensive financial plan to take the politics and emotion out of the decision-making process. “That’s what would unify Sullivan’s Island. We aren’t getting transparency from our council members,” she said.

Tom Proctor, another resident, said he was concerned the town might charge beach visitors for parking. “The beach is everybody’s,” he said.

Issues facing the new Council include how best to manage the island’s maritime forest.

Sullivan’s plans to construct a new Town Hall to replace the one that had to be abandoned because of a mold problem that was making staffers sick. For some time, the island has been working to manage its coyote problem. 

An overhaul of its aging sewer system is planned because of cracks in pipes that let in stormwater which in turn can strain the capacity of the wastewater processing plant. Parking for beachgoers remains an important issue as well as management of the relationship between the commercial district and nearby residents.

O’Neil was in the middle of a four-year Council term when he decided to run for mayor to fill out the rest of the term of the late Mike Perkis who died of pancreatic cancer in October. O’Neil, who defeated Kaynard to win the mayor’s race in January, will serve in the town’s top elected post until May of 2017.

http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150505/PC16/150509671/1177/robust-turnout-reported-for-sullivan-x2019-s-island-elections

Dave Spurgin on the Issues: Reeling in haphazard spending

Biggest issue facing Sullivan's Island 

The biggest issue facing the town is the impending financial storm that is quickly bearing down on us. This turmoil was created when we started borrowing large sums of money to pay for projects with absolutely zero plans for how to pay it back.

Let me say this again. In the near future we will be faced with the very real choice of selling more town lots, raising property taxes, or increasing fees across the board—or a combination of all three—to pay back the money we have borrowed.

I have spent hours in recent weeks talking with town staff reviewing town finances. We simply do not generate enough tax revenue to cover any new projects. If our current financial strategies do not change soon, it is just a matter of time before you see your property tax bills increase significantly. The real question then will not be by how much property taxes and fees increase, but how often they increase.

Regardless of how this election turns out, we must immediately implement a comprehensive financial plan that takes into account both long-term and short-term capital needs, and meets our long-term debt obligations. Continuing to spend money on pet projects without thought of how to pay for them must stop.

It would take a minimum increase in the millage rate of 8 points for the next 15 years just to cover our current debt. Not to mention that we will need additional millage rate increases just to balance our budget for cost-of-living allowances each year. We will also need an additional millage rate increase to fund the repairs to the sewer network alone which will increase the millage rate another 7 points. And water bills will stay excessively high through at least 2029.

Some will say that the easiest fix is to simply sell more lots. But do we really want to deplete our asset pool beyond what we already have?

In the last 24 months Town Council has sold 6 lots. In the previous 20 years they sold only 2. It is estimated that we only have 10-14 lots remaining. This is troubling because once the lots are gone, we will have no recourse other than to look to residents to pay for future projects. This will inevitably lead to discussions on raising property taxes, increasing density on the island, and even attempting to pull some of the accreted land out of the trust for lot sales.

I would encourage every resident to call current and prospective councilpersons and ask them about our financial situation. If they cannot give you a succinct answer in three minutes, then I 
question whether they should be on Town Council.

I deeply believe that the people make the best decisions when it comes to government. We just have to step out of the way and let their voices be heard. If given the chance to serve, I will work hard to earn your vote, and more importantly your trust.

Dave Spurgin

Candidate for the 2-year seat on Sullivan's Island Town Council
843-532-2644
davespurgin@yahoo.com