Two candidates vie for Charleston’s Public Works Commissioner seat

As the Lowcountry prepares for its municipal elections on Tuesday, Nov. 4, voters will have the opportunity to select the city’s next Commissioner of Public Works, a role central to maintaining the city’s infrastructure. 

Two candidates, Kathleen Wilson and Barbara Acobe, are seeking the nonpartisan office, which oversees the installation, upkeep and repair of water and sewer infrastructure. The six-year term gives the winner a long horizon to shape Charleston priorities surrounding public health and environmental protection. 

Kathleen Wilson: Experience and forward planning 

Current commissioner Kathleen Wilson, who has served on the Charleston Water System board since 2020, emphasizes preparation and infrastructure reliability. 

“Charleston Water System has multiple challenges on multiple fronts. Customers often ask why rates are going up each year. There are the obvious causes, such as increased costs in everything that we do – goods and services purchased and the huge cost of maintaining our thousands of miles of infrastructure – but we constantly seek new and better materials in every aspect of this infrastructure, from new materials for water and sewage lines to reliable pump stations and ensuring that our product – finished, treated water – is as pristine as we can make it.” 

Wilson highlighted the complexity of keeping water flowing in a growing city. 

“We test constantly throughout our system, 120 or so tests each month, and the CWS operation runs 24/7/365. We anticipate issues, whether it is a sudden line break or strategically thinking through major capital projects.” She also noted the ongoing replacement of lead lines on the peninsula, ensuring homeowners receive new lines at no cost. 

Facing future pressures, Wilson pointed to the Lowcountry Rapid Transit project, which will require costly relocations of water mains. 

“This tremendous unfunded liability will force CWS to go to the bond markets. This greatly alters our capital projects plans and the ability to get smaller projects, less urgent, completed for several years. 

"It will also result in additional rate hikes for all existing customers. We have no choice, and this will most likely fall to us. It is these types of occurrences that the public is not aware of that result in truly difficult decisions and increased rates that are not ours but rather poor planning on the part of another governmental agency.”  

On balancing infrastructure growth with sustainability and affordability, Wilson stressed careful planning and financial oversight. She cited the $117 million West Ashley sewer tunnel extension, which she described as “a game changer," saying it will serve the area for the next 150 years. 

In her bid for re-election, Wilson said, “I am proud to serve this utility and our customer base. We are fiscally sound, we think and plan well, and our staff is second to none. I would like to remain a commissioner and continue doing the quiet work of providing an excellent product, protecting the environment, and doing all at the most efficient cost to our customers.” 

Barbara Acobe: Transparency and community-focused planning 

Barbara Acobe, a former Charleston Water System employee of over 40 years, centers her campaign on proactive planning, community engagement, and balancing growth with affordability. She highlighted aging infrastructure and water quality concerns as her top priorities.  

“(The city’s biggest challenges are) the depletion of our water south, conservation, and the replacement of many of the commissioner's water and sewer mains, which are nearing 100 years old,” she said. “To tackle this, I propose a thorough assessment of how growth affects our systems to guide us in identifying key areas for improvement and implementation.” 

Acobe also emphasized the need to monitor chemical levels and aging pipes at the Plum Island facility while maintaining compliance with Environmental Protection Agency standards. She outlined a vision for a comprehensive and transparent approach. 

“I recommend establishing a comprehensive plan that emphasizes transparency, keeping residents informed about water quality, safety, and any health risks. It's important to equip residents with proactive measures they can take to ensure they have safe water.” 

On affordability, she believes in balancing preservation with growth. “I would advocate for a comprehensive plan that predicts future growth rates, has a sensible rate increase structure for all new businesses, seeks more federal and/or state funding for major projects, and funds reasonable solutions to reduce labor and material costs that contribute to rate increases.” 

Acobe stressed the importance of coordination with city departments to guide development responsibly. “The city should adopt a transparent and collaborative approach, actively engaging the Department of Health and Environmental Control, as well as the zoning, planning, and preservation departments, to provide input on future development. This collaboration will help address any potential changes in rates that could impact affordability for ratepayers.” 

She also emphasized the importance of effective waste management and ongoing maintenance of sewer systems to meet growing demands and control costs. 

“I would advocate for gathering input from customers by conducting a comprehensive feasibility analysis of growth trends. This will help address community needs and concerns about affordable rates,” Acobe said, underscoring her focus on practical solutions that balance infrastructure, growth, and affordability.