When I decided to run for Mayor, I did so to help bring trust and openness to our residents and small businesses. I'm finding out so much about the town and how it operates, and what I see happening isn't right. Currently Moncks Corner has 3,989 units ( these can be single family, townhomes or apartments ) that have been approved but not yet built (many due to being annexed into the town). When will they realize that our roads and our schools can't take all these extra people? Giving developers the money meant for the town And it isn’t just Moncks Corner, Berkeley County also has massive developments in the Moncks Corner area. Moncks Corner also has a COMMERCIAL INFRASTRUCTURE REIMBURSMENT PROGRAM. You can see more about it in the images below, but what this program does (in a nutshell) is to give the developers 100% of their infrastructure costs back in tax refunds taxes over 10-15 years. Which is great for the developers, but that revenue should be going into Moncks Corner. These words are from the reimbursement program. The program is designed to:
You can read the rest for yourselves they want to expand Moncks Corner down Hwy 6 and over the tail race bridge and it will destroy the fabric of what makes us “The Lowcountry’s Hometown.” In addition, this program lets developers write off water and sewer costs among other things. When I built my residence here in Moncks Corner (transforming an overgrown lot into a home), we paid over $6,500.00 to tap into the water and sewer with no rebates. Why is our town giving the corporate developers their money back while taxing the residents? Let's support small businesses in Moncks Corner, not outside developers What is the town doing to help small businesses? Not enough in my opinion. All of our taxes went up by 15% in 2022, while giving the mayor a 61% raise. My plan to better support Moncks Corner small businesses is to have a small business advisory board that meets with the town monthly to work together on ways to promote their businesses. These small business owners are the ones showing up to our events. And sponsoring our sports teams. The big developers (who don't live in Moncks Corner) come in and builds massive developments, and make a lot of money, and then leave us all the headaches. Here's an idea. How about the developers pay for ALL of their infrastructure and not burden the taxpayers of Moncks Corner? We need a change. We need fresh ideas. Our current mayor was a town councilman for 11 years, and has been mayor for 8, and his administration is one of all growth. But speaking to the residents of Moncks Corner, they don't want the congestion of a Summerville. Please Vote for me, so I can go in and give all of us a voice. Thank You, Thomas
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As Moncks Corner grows, many of us have seen that lack of infrastructure has led to less-than-idea traffic conditions. And sometimes downright dangerous traffic situations.
Here're the areas I've heard from residents are the highest concerns. If you have any additional areas you think should be added to the list, please contact me here and let me know. While many of us want the benefits of some growth in Moncks Corner, not all growth is smart growth. Especially if we don't have the structures to support the growth safely. Foxbank Plantation Entrance I am committed to have a traffic light for the main entrance to Foxbank Plantation. Right now, it's a dangerous area for the residents to get in and out of, especially with a new business across the road. Foxbank Fire Station I'll also work to have back doors installed on the Foxbank Fire station. It's way to hazardous to back the fire trucks in from the road with the amount of traffic that flows through there. 52/Cypress Road I will push for the start and the completion of the 52/Cypress Road reconfiguration. Walmart Shopping Center Entrance Lastly, we need a dedicated left turn light in Moncks Corner going into the Walmart and another one headed to Hwy 402. These are dangerous intersections and need to be fixed. I'm committed to staying on our local State representatives and the SCDOT until these things are done. In my pursuit of the mayoral position, my goal is to foster transparency and strong representation for You within our Town Hall. As we examine the issues at hand, a few important matters have captured my attention.
Of particular significance is the mayor's employment within the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Department. This scenario raises legitimate concerns about potential conflicts of interest. It's crucial to weigh the mayor's capacity to effectively fulfill obligations both at the county level and as a town official. This consideration invites us to reflect on where the mayor's loyalties might lie when county and town interests intersect, and this warrants a thoughtful and comprehensive discussion. Furthermore, it's essential to highlight that in 2022, while our residents and businesses experienced a 15% tax increase, the current mayor's salary saw a remarkable 60.1% boost from 18,420 to 29,646. This stands in stark contrast to the modest 2.5% cost of living raise budgeted for town employees. In addition, the mayor's salary spiked by 91.9% from 9,600 to 18,420 in 2018, accompanied by a specific ordinance and local media coverage, subsequent raises lacked the same level of transparency. Since 2018, the mayor's salary has surged from $9,600 to $29,646 – an astounding increase of 208.8%. Alongside these financial gains, the mayor enjoys benefits such as a town-provided SUV and possible health insurance and other benefits. This could potentially increase the mayors salary to almost $40,000.00 for a PART-TIME job. He is making more than some town employees that are working Full-Time. It's worth noting that when the 15% tax increase was defended by him, the reasons cited included escalating costs, inflation, and labor expenses. This justification comes despite the mayor personally receiving an $11,226 raise in the same year. These significant salary hikes markedly contrast with the compensation received by other town employees, particularly equipment operators, firefighters and police. Should I be elected, I am committed to redistributing the recent raise to our firefighter 2 employees who are underpaid in my opinion. I will work hard to bring up the salaries of our least compensated employees. Additionally, I pledge to contribute my mayoral salary to our community through the "Nominate Your Neighbor" initiative. I will not spend one penny of the mayors salary on myself. To bring these proposed changes to fruition, I wholeheartedly seek your support and your vote. (Click the image to see the full size.) Back in 2017, the Moncks Corner City Council made a decision to raise the Mayor's annual salary from $9,600 to $18,420.
If elected, I am fully committed to not utilizing any portion of the mayor's salary for personal expenses. Instead, my plan is to establish a dedicated bank account and an email address for the 'Nominate Your Neighbor' initiative. This fund will be exclusively aimed at supporting our in-town residents who may be in need of assistance. The objective of this initiative is to extend a helping hand to our community members in various ways. This could include sending local kids to Moncks Corner Camps, providing relief during hot summer months by supplying window air conditioning units, supporting registrations, and facilitating equipment acquisition for sports leagues. The scope of assistance is quite broad and will essentially be shaped by the needs that our neighbors identify. Thank you for considering my commitment to making our community stronger and more supportive. |
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