As we approach the end of my first year on the Berkeley County Council, I would like to report that we have made significant progress on addressing public policy issues important to the residents of Daniel Island and the Cainhoy peninsula.
When I campaigned for office last year, I focused on three issues: taxes, citizen representation and public safety.
Taxes: Good tax policy is the result of two main ingredients—efficiency and equity. Efficiency involves constantly looking at each government department aqnd determining how things can be done better and at less expense to the taxpayer. A good example is the work I am doing with Cypress Gardens, the county’s only park.
At the time of my swearing in, there were only two sides to the challenge of keeping the garden open. One side wanted no change, but this was a recipe for eventual bankruptcy. The other wanted to get remove the park from the county ledger, thus closing it down. As background, the operating deficit has spiraled out of control, growing to $1 million this year, including a $1 million payroll.
Under my leadership, we have developed a plan to turn this situation around. Cypress Gardens is a beautiful and historically significant place and Berkeley County has an obligation to be a good steward. To that end, we soon will announce a comprehensive restructuring plan to shrink the budget and improve the park’s attractions. We also are working to secure long-term support from the garden’s neighbor, the DuPont Company.
I am also recommending a cost-savings initiative where we solicit cost-cutting recommendations from the staff—an approach that could yield considerable savings and operating improvements.
Equal Representation: The voters on Daniel Island made it clear in last year’s special election that they want and deserve representation in Moncks Corner. They were in no way implying that they wanted me to ignore the needs of the other neighborhoods in the district. We have already moved to improve this situation by appointing two residents from Daniel Island to serve on county boards. Pat Richards is our representative on the library board and Judy Jackson is a member of the mental health board.
It is my goal to bring Daniel Island and the Cainhoy peninsula into line with other areas of Berkeley County in participation on county boards, committees and commissions.
Public Safety: Two recurring issues plague our district. The first is the fact that we are home to both is the most dangerous in the county and the most structurally unsound bridge in the county. The second is the confusion over handling emergency 911 calls.
During the past year, I have succeeded in convincing County Council to make Clements Ferry Road the No.1 priority of the county to be addressed by the proposed one-cent sales tax. And our engineers are now working with the state to facilitate replacement of the Wando 41 Bridge. This is solid progress and demonstrates that the attention of the county can successfully be focused on issues in our district.
The 911 problem is on the path to being repaired. Despite the band-aid approach of past years, complaints continue. The reason is that landline 911 calls made from Daniel Island go to the city of Charleston dispatch center and cell phone calls are automatically routed to Berkeley County dispatch in Moncks Corner.
Recently, a resident of Beresford Hall suffered a stroke. His wife called 911. The city of Charleston dispatcher was told where the family lived, but the emergency team was sent instead to an incorrect address on Daniel Island. The dispatcher then transferred the call to Charleston County. The wife spent unnecessary minutes pleading with the dispatcher, only to be told that she should call Berkeley County. In other words, a process that could have spelled disaster for the victim of the stroke. Thankfully, someone on the EMS team figured out the mistake and got to the man in time.
This was not an isolated incident. Over the past five years, this sort of problem has occurred numerous times. We are going to take action. Berkeley County is proud to be home to the top 911 dispatch team in South Carolina. Last year, they won an award for their quick response time.
I recently met with the county’s deputy supervisor, the head of county emergency communications, the head of county EMS and the District 8 councilman who represents much of Cainhoy. The county will begin discussions with the city of Charleston, and my feelings are clear: the county needs to retake control of landline originated 911 calls from the Daniel Island area.
I look forward to continuing my representation of the citizens of Daniel Island and District 2.
