Due to no candidate securing a majority vote in the recent primary for the Spartanburg County Council District 4 seat, a runoff election will be held on June 25th between McCorkle and DeShields according to John L. Baucom, Director of Spartanburg County Voter Registration & Elections. The runoff is necessary as the primary system requires a candidate to receive over 50% of the vote to advance. Voters are urged read the candidates’ responses to questions about important issues below and vote on Election Day, June 25.
For more information contact the Spartanburg County Voter Registration & Elections at 366 N Church Street, Spartanburg, SC 29303, or call (864) 562-4042. You may also visit scvotes.org for updated information.
Background and Experience:
As a small business professional, I also bring multiple information technology certifications and a degree. I worked in healthcare as a network engineer and radiology system administrator. I continue to attend and achieve education certifications with the South Carolina Association of Counties.
As a small business professional, I’m responsible for every aspect of a successful business, as well as my clients and customers. Being a representative on council is absolutely a customer service-oriented position. My past and current business responsibilities and entertainment business endeavors have prepped me to work for my customers, who are ultimately we, the taxpayers of Spartanburg County.
Community Engagement:
I’m always a phone call away. I am accustomed to working both traditional and non-traditional work hours. I am always supporting charities and participating in community events. In my first term, I experienced the lines of communication opened by social media as well as simply placing a call to me or our office. I plan to stay up-to-date and current on the means of communication that are most effective for everyone in our communities.
Economic Development:
I still stand by my original plan, which I ran on in my first term. We must think proactively and pursue smart growth. I am pro-business because the overwhelming majority of the folks I represent are working-class people like myself. We need both small and large businesses to support our economy, help shoulder the tax burden, and contribute to our communities.
I have always and will continue to support local businesses. I personally would rather buy an item that I can put in my hand from the farm store than order it. Fairness and opportunity for businesses that support our residents are key.
Infrastructure and Transportation:
I will continue to push for and work with our state as well as county leaders for additional road and bridge projects. However, one point that I want to stress is that we must also continue to focus on the underlying issues that cause our roads and bridges to fail in the first place. Such as the stormwater infrastructure updates that we are currently seeing. I will continue to keep my promise of pushing for updated broadband access for our rural areas to ensure we all have the current safety and educational opportunities that the rest of the county has.
Education and Youth Programs:
I have proven results in obtaining broadband access updates that our education and safety have begun to rely upon more and more. Schools are governed more by local school boards, but I am always more than willing and happy to work with any of them for the betterment of our children and their future.
Yes! I have worked with SCDOT as well as SCDNR on a project that will pave, light, and offer law enforcement presence at a local Enoree river access point. I support using the funds we have available for recreation for all ages. But I especially push for our youth to have safe, outdoor recreational opportunities.
Healthcare and Social Services:
My working in the healthcare industry at one time made a lasting impression of just how important healthcare facilities and affordable options are. Our healthcare and social services are largely dependent upon state-level officials. However I am very committed to healthcare options being available to American citizens everywhere.
I have voted for and worked very hard to find a solution to offer our deputies, and first responders pay increases as well as retention bonuses for all county employees outside of a budget cycle even. Under my term on council I have pushed to fill vacancies in multiple areas of core governmental services. An example is zero vacancies in our 911 and communications for the first time since I’ve been elected. I provide results, not just ideas.
Housing and Development:
I have and will continue to work with affordable housing initiatives all over our county. But taking District Four into special account, of course. We need the same opportunities as other areas of the county. Since I’ve been elected I’ve seen more results in that sense.
Our district is blessed to have the charm and rural way of life that we love. I am pro business, we need business, and we need the business that contributes to our residents and our area the most. I openly opposed the Duke Energy Big Ferguson project by writing letters of opposition and conversations with Duke on behalf of our residents who will be affected by such projects. The additional infrastructure is inevitable. However we must be mindful of the location and the agricultural as well as rural areas affected by the location of these projects. It would be better placed in a more commercial or industrialized area.
Vision for the Future:
District Four is special. It’s a large area, and it includes everything from my hometown and rural Glenn Springs to the city limits of Greer. It’s more important now than ever to keep residents informed and to maintain an outlook of smart growth. I have fostered proactive thinking and proactive approach to infrastructure, business, as well as our natural resources, and rural areas. This district requires the ability to meet the needs of citizens from different walks of life.
Success is not measured by the car we drive or the numbers in the bank. It’s measured by quality of life and living in a place you’re proud to call home. Sure, we all need better jobs, our kids need opportunities to be successful in life. But at the end of the day, the core of District Four is not afraid of a little bit of work to get the job done right. We are not afraid to be free, not afraid to honor those who gave so much to afford us these opportunities. And most of all we are not afraid to respect God’s creations.
Background and Experience:
I am a businessman and job creator who has spent basically my entire life in Spartanburg’s 4th County Council District. In the construction industry, you get to see a lot of places and meet a lot of people from all walks of life, and as a business owner you have to figure out how to solve problems on-the-fly. I also manage a business budget and provide a job for over a dozen people – so management experience is key. I would happily bring that experience with me to Spartanburg County Council.
Community Engagement:
I plan to attend community events, talk with residents, and engage with the community of District Four to ask for changes or improvements that Spartanburg County District Four needs. I will make sure the concerns of the community are brought to attention of the council.
Economic Development:
Economic development is key to the future success of Spartanburg County. I will work with my colleagues on the county council and our partners in the community the same way I approach my business – by listening more than I talk, and working to build bridges between different stakeholders to ensure the best possible outcome.
Infrastructure and Transportation:
We will devote resources to fixing the county’s roads, bridges, and transportation. We need to assess roads and bridges first, to prioritize the most needed for the general public.
Education and Youth Programs:
We need to offer and push better trade schools/training and private sector mentoring. The best employees are the one you start young and teach how to be good at the job.
Housing and Development:
We have to start with a balanced approach to housing and commercial development. When there is not enough housing, prices will continue to increase even more. We have to be careful of our stance and regulation on new developments or our housing will become unafforadable for future generations.
Vision for the Future:
My goal is to help the small businesses in my district and look out for the average middle-class person/citizen. We should prioritize the quality of our people. Our school system provides us with good people who become good employees. Solid infrastructure and a willingness to cooperate to build facilities at reasonable costs make Spartanburg the place to be.
Author: Tracy Sanders
