Supervisor Bill Peagler delivers the State of the County address

In his first State of the County address on March 14, Berkeley County Supervisor Bill Peagler spoke of the promises he made to Berkeley County voters when he was running for office back in November 2014 and then explained how each of his promises has been met with success during his first year.

Promise: To restructure county government, steamline and eliminate duplicate agencies and processes.

Action: By merging six county departments (Human Resources, Finance, IT, Public Relations, Risk Management and Purchasing) Peagler said that employees are now being used for more specific tasks and have been combined on other efforts, and resources have been joined to ensure a more efficient government. Peagler believes that with these mergers, taxpayer’s money will be saved and more savings will be seen over the years to come through attrition.

Promise: To run the county as a business and put a significant focus on recruiting new businesses.

Action: Peagler said he set a new model for business from his first day in office, “Berkeley County is open for business and Berkeley County means business”. He pointed out several examples of the model coming to fruition, citing such new businesses as Volvo, Gerber, Impresa AeroSpace, A&R BulkPak, and Mankiewicz Coatings picking Berkeley County as their home. Peagler said his model can also be seen with new economic development investments of nearly $800 million dollars in Berkeley County since January 1, 2015. These major economic announcements also can be attributed to increased bond ratings for the county as they were recognized by credit rating companies like Standards and Poors and Moody’s, explained Peagler.

Promise: To improve public safety and decrease response times by emergency personnel.

Action: According to Peagler, there has not been one net new deputy patrol or a net Emergency Medical Service (EMS) technician in the past seven years. With all the growth in the county, resources to serve and protect did not meet the growth experienced. Peagler made it a priority to focus on public safety and county employees in his first budget. With the support of County Council, Peagler’s first budget funded four patrol sheriff deputies, eight detention center officers and four EMS technicians. He also noted that these positions were added without increasing taxes. To help fill these positions and make them more desirable, Peagler also increased salaries for first responders. Other public safety improvements are being implemented because of a new bond ordinance introduced this year, such as a countywide radio communication system, system upgrades to the detention center closed circuit television system, and a new text 911 service. Peagler adds that these improvements will all be done without increasing taxes.

Promise: To speed up the planning and permitting process.

Action: Peagler said he implemented the Joint Plan Review process, which streamlines and expedites plan review services for residents, engineers, developers and other county business. It outlines project requirements, which Peagler believes saves time from previous processes and protocols and saves money by expediting the planning process.

Promise: To make the government more open, transparent and inviting to the residents.

Action: Peagler noted that he created a new Public Information Officer position so county information can get to the public more efficiently. In addition to that important position, the county also now has a strong presence on social media (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube), which are all tools that make the county more accessible to the public, he explained.

Promise: To advance efforts to improve education in the county.

Action: Peagler said he has worked with new school superintendent Brenda Blackburn to have open dialogue between county government and the county school district in order to improve education. He also said he is working with Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and Trident Technical College president Dr. Mary Thornly to ensure the youth apprentice program is implemented which allows for high school students to begin working in industries they are interested in while finishing high school.

Because Berkeley County is the fastest growing county in South Carolina, Peagler said he plans to focus on infrastructure going forward. With many projects underway across the county, the widening of Clements Ferry Road Phase I and II and the intersection of Daniel Island Drive and Seven Farms Drive are of importance to Daniel Islanders.

Summarizing the past year as “growth”, Peagler closed his address by saying “Berkeley County is in a great position and even better outlook for the future.” To find out more about the economic development in Berkeley County, visit www.berkeleymeansbusiness.com.