Qualifications for Office
I have held positions on the Town of Central Planning Commission and Pickens County Planning Commission and have been an active volunteer with the Town of Central for the past decade.
I have been actively involved in the Town of Central's Planning Commission for over five years. I have also served on Pickens County Planning Commission for one year. Both of these experiences ensure familiarity with many of the regulations in the Town and the State. I also work in management of a manufacturing facility in Pickens County and have responsibility for budget and department sizes that are similar in scope to those of the Town of Central. Most importantly, I am raising a family in Central and am an active volunteer with town events, rec sports coach, scout leader, and husband of a local business owner.
I opposed the Town's recent adoption of boundaries to pursue the TIF process in areas recently annexed South of Hwy 123. I feel that citizens are owed a transparent analysis regarding the proposed infrastructure burden and the split of that burden between the Town and the developers. In voting to further the process I feel the Town is losing focus on what should be our core priorities: downtown walkability, parking, filling vacant store fronts and providing safe, quality service of water and sanitation.
New housing in the area should be approved only when the additional service can be reasonably undertaken - funding isn't required. If funding is required, the development should not be approved until the needs are quantified and the developers are made to provide the services. The current Town Comprehensive Plan encourages the Council to perform quantitative cost/benefit analysis prior to any annexation. This has not been done, but should be the standard. There is a risk that most people see regarding the need for service outpacing the capacity. The hidden cost is the lack of focus on our core Downtown area due to efforts to play catch up on infrastructure requirements that were not adequately analyzed and planned.
The most precious asset in Central is our core Downtown. That small town feel comes from a quaint, clean downtown that people love to call home and love to meet their neighbors in. When all of the legislative priorities go to new development we lose focus on providing walkability, parking and filling vacant storefronts. I am committed to be the voice that never loses focus on these items if elected. Parking inventories and standard identification means, cross walks and a long range sidewalk plan and improvement of our incentives and punitive measures for downtown landlords are all straight forward ways to make progress on these issues.
I have a back ground in Public Service. I served for 2 years in AmeriCorps where I assisted individuals through finical literacy, resume building, and housing assistance for low income families. I am a Notary Public and a proud American. I also provided free tax assistance to low income families and the elderly. I am a graduate of Southern Wesleyan University and am currently working on a Master in Clinical Counseling Psychology. I love people and value honesty, transparency, and service.
The town recently made a priority of funding for a new sanitation truck to better serve the residents of Central. I am thankful for the hard working men and women who keep our community clean.
Through grass root advocation, as well as exploring all appropriate means and channels. We must put our tax dollars to good use and invest in our communities.
I would want to promote community outreach, as well as community engagement. I would also love to further promote and prioritize the history and heritage of Central.
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