Approximately two years ago I was elected as Councilman for Dillon County District #2. I knew then that if I was elected, I would be one voice on the Council and would have one vote. Dillon County Council votes and agrees on various topics, and one often succeeds by sharing understanding of an issue and by enlightening others. Seldom is anything accomplished when just one person says something. The knowledge of how Council government works and functions was a great asset for me as I worked to do what was best for the county and District 2.
While campaigning, I talked with many voters, and I let them know some of the things that I wanted to help accomplish for the County. I listened to their opinions, and I noted their concerns. It was my opinion that we should try and improve the following items:
Prioritize funding for emergency services and law enforcement.
Our emergency services leadership has redirected funding and revised the structure of the organization and has increased the pay of our emergency responders. Our Sheriff constantly tries to help law enforcement staff by filling the ranks of only those needed and increasing pay to reward employees and retain employees. I supported these initiatives.
Address staffing issues.
I supported a study to evaluate the salaries of our employees and a comparison of them to other employees in similar sized counties. This was done to retain employees and attract better employees. Our personnel vacancy rate is high and is being addressed by our administrator and department heads. One step that has really helped our county is hiring a proven leader and manager as administrator who has a lifetime of government service. He provides consistent leadership and works above and beyond to provide what our county needs. I personally spoke with him and encouraged him to come to Dillon County as soon as I was elected. We have also hired an assistant administrator who works in that capacity and as finance director. He has used his previous work experience and political experience to help manage the day-to-day needs of the county and help with economic development. I personally encouraged this move, as well. Dillon County now has an economic developer under contract. Having contract personnel in this capacity allows for the evaluation of their performance without obligating the county to retain them unless the Council is satisfied. I supported and helped initiate this method of approaching economic development.
Consistent schedule for ditch cleaning.
While developing a schedule to clean ditches by our personnel has not yet been accomplished, numerous work requests for our Roads and Bridges department were addressed, including ditch cleaning, drainage improvements and road work. As part of these requests, the County had excellent cooperation from SCDOT on items that improved our county drainage and for requests that assisted the DOT, as well. Because the drainage network of the County and DOT join, and accomplish similar objectives in most areas, this cooperation has benefited everyone, and I thank SCDOT for all their help. My unique relationship with Department personnel due to my 41 years of infrastructure experience, being a licensed professional civil engineer, and former SCDOT District Engineering Administrator helped us accomplish mutual objectives for our road system and drainage network.
Timeliness of property assessments.
Addressing our staffing issues and getting past COVID have helped Dillon County get back on track with assessments. Our taxes pay the bills and prioritizing assessments for collections and keeping assessments timely eliminates the effects of inflation on property values. Being two years behind during periods of high inflation artificially raises our taxes.
When I was seeking election the first time, I was not doing it for personal gain or recognition. I feel the same today while seeking re-election. I want to do the right thing and do what is best. These were items that I wanted to accomplish that I thought would help our County. To accomplish these and other items, one thing had to happen. Every item that Council voted on and considered had to be studied and thought about. But most importantly, we had to do the right thing. I voted and made decisions that were the right thing for our County and District 2. It is amazing what can be accomplished when it doesn’t matter who gets the credit. It is usually easy to tell when someone’s biggest concern is themselves. When I face a candidate that I feel will do a better job, then I will not run again and defer to the better candidate.
I believe I have made decisions that will help our county and District 2. Specific items that we accomplished are:
Increased funding for recreation in our District from the County and from discretionary recreation funds allotted to each Council member.
Additional improvements to the County recreation area in Fork.
Increased funding for the Lake View Rescue Squad.
Supported obtaining more equipment for our emergency services that has improved their ability to respond in a timely manner.
Carried out litter and trash pickup in selected areas. For the most part, District 2 is one of the cleaner areas in the County. I can’t take credit for it, but I can take pride in it. If elected again, I’ll make every effort to keep it that way.
In certain areas of the County, and parts of District 2 as well, there have been complaints about dogs, cats and animals that are owned and are not controlled. Wild dogs and feral/stray cats are found in several areas. The County has taken what measures it can to help with this issue. The costs and ever-increasing number of animals has made this issue a burden for the County. I have requested and have gotten support in addressing this issue on several occasions.
Not every complaint is addressed the way that each person wants. Sometimes, we must make hard decisions due to resources and what is the best thing for the most people. But I honestly try to make the right decision based on the knowledge I have, and I do try to learn and be informed about the topics we consider.
If elected again, I plan to continue my push to maintain and improve our county infrastructure. I will continue to advise and consult with our staff to help solve problems. My experience and knowledge have helped the county because of the similar road and drainage issues and funding requirements the county and DOT face. Continued support of emergency services has been requested by several people. Everyone wants the timely help of these services and I feel that we have improved and should continue to become more efficient. Our Sheriff constantly shares ideas to improve law enforcement and improve his staff. I feel that my support and opinions are a help. We have a big hill to climb, and I will continue to support our Sheriff.
Lastly, improving our county staff and making sure they are adequately compensated will always be one of the keys to our success. From economic development through daily management, having the right people in place will ensure our success. We have made improvements, and I will continue to support this effort.
I would greatly appreciate your support by voting for and re-electing me, Dennis Townsend, as District 2 Councilman. I’ll continue to do the right thing for us and our County. Thank you for taking the time to read this.
