Newberry County Council District Four Q&A

NEWBERRY COUNTY — On Nov. 3, voters will have a decision to make in the Newberry County Council District Four election. Incumbent Kirksey Koon (Democrat) faces challenger Robert N. Shealy (Republican).

The following questions were submitted to each candidate via email. Answers have been minimally edited for spelling, grammar and punctuation.

1. What will your top priority be as the District Four County Council representative?

Koon: “Law enforcement will always be at the top of my list. I’m a retired law enforcement officer and served in the U.S. Army as a military policeman. Without good law and order, things can go downhill quickly. Look at what’s happening in some of our nation’s cities today. If you haven’t worked in law enforcement, and if you don’t understand by budgeting experience the means of funding law enforcement, it’s something you can easily take for granted and let slip. That’s what is happening across the nation.

“Last November, I began working with our sheriff on a pay package that greatly improved morale and retention in Newberry County’s law enforcement. Through careful study and reprioritizing our budget, we determined that a 16 percent increase in the law enforcement payroll was both necessary and doable. From there, I worked through Council’s Public Safety and Courts Committee, which I chair, to get the plan through County Council. Before that, we had nine law enforcement vacancies; now we have virtually none.

“Other public safety areas such as our fire departments and rescue squads are just as important. Working in my role as chairman of the Public Safety and Courts Committee, I helped develop a regular program of replacement for fire trucks, rescue trucks, and ambulances. That program, which has been in place for a decade now, allows us to keep our equipment and heavy rolling stock current while managing the indebtedness obligations that must be funded by the taxpayers. I want to use this same strategy to equip the firefighter training grounds that Council has just established.

“Through my work life, and through my time serving on Newberry County Council, I have gained a great deal of experience that has helped put our law enforcement and public safety functions in an enviable place, compared to many counties. I know how hard that was to do, and I know the value of keeping it going.”

Shealy: “There are many things I would be very interested in looking into if elected; however, if I were to choose, my first priority would be to look into what incentives it would take to bring more retail businesses such as, grocery and family style restaurants here into Newberry.”

2. What type of growth would you like to see in Newberry County in the next four years?

Koon: “I would like to see orderly growth that does not compromise our way of life. We need some improvements in grocery store choices, restaurants, and retail shopping. However, retail chains of all kinds chase rooftops. That’s not to say that we don’t need more housing — we do. However, we do need to consider the rural lifestyle and things we enjoy about Newberry County.

“On October 7, I voted in favor of incentives to attract new grocery store choices to Newberry County. The incentive package County Council approved will allow us to look at these grocery store projects on a case-by-case basis and consider which proposals will actually benefit our citizens. I favor a similar approach to development of higher-density neighborhoods. These are the neighborhoods of choice for some people, and I respect that. They are also a necessary part of any county’s development strategy. But let’s consider their impacts on infrastructure, roads, and schools so that we don’t create additional costs and compromises faster than we care to accommodate them. There are several housing developers ready to expand into Newberry County over the next year. The growth is unavoidable. Let’s be better prepared on the front end so that we don’t end up with development regret.

“As a county, we have become quite good at attracting industrial growth. Until the COVID-19 pandemic, our unemployment rate was a historic low. But this is another area where we can — and should — be selective. Council is currently planning to add more industrial development acreage to its portfolio. This should be used to attract the jobs that we want our future generations to have so that they can stay in Newberry County. This growth also should be sensitive to our commuting patterns, neighborhoods, and infrastructure availability.

“Growth is a two-edged sword. It’s something we want, but it’s something we want to be able to live with. Growth is a good thing. Having some order about it is even better.”

Shealy: “I would love to see the current trend of industry coming to Newberry continue, as well as adding some residential developments to help grow our community as a whole.”

3. Do you feel there are any local budget or tax policies that should be addressed?

Koon: “As I have said since being elected to County Council, we need to eliminate non-essential spending. The Newberry Opera House is a fine thing. So is the new museum, and so are charities and non-profits. But when people don’t pay their property taxes, their homes are sold. This means that building non-essential spending for these causes into our budgets makes ‘giving’ to them mandatory. I don’t feel that this is right, and I also think it takes up resources that are better allocated to essentials like law enforcement and public safety. My view on these sometimes lead my colleagues on Council to say that I am more Republican than the Republicans. But this is not a Democrat-Republican thing; this is about what’s right.

“We’ve brought our tax levies down more than 15 percent since I came on County Council. When I was elected, County Council taxes were some of the highest in this state. Finally, as of last year, we have reduced them into the bottom half of all South Carolina counties. The next step — it should have been the first step — is to cut out all non-essential spending. I offered numerous budget amendments this year — as I do every budget year — to do just that, and I will continue to do so.

“I have always favored fund balances that keep the county solvent. It’s just saving for a rainy day. With our population and service delivery costs, I think this should stay at around five months of operating costs. That’s not an excessive amount, but it keeps us from having to jack up the tax millage when something unforeseen happens. It’s just good policy.”

Shealy: “I will need to review the county’s past budgets, and tax policies to see where we are in relation to other counties our size. Of course, I will act on the information once I’ve determined what I believe is best for our residents and county.”

Final Statement: What is one thing voters should know about why you are running for office?

Koon: “The guy you see in the Council meetings is the same guy you see on the street. I told the citizens twelve years ago that my goal was to offer the best county services while operating within the financial means of the citizens I represent. By operating with their financial means, I don’t mean the highest taxes they can afford to pay. I mean the essential services they need, delivered as economically as possible. Beyond that, I believe in treating everyone with dignity and respect. That might seem old-fashioned in today’s world, but it’s something we need to get back to — in a hurry.”

Shealy: “I believe Newberry County needs fresh ideas on County Council. I work in and around our residents, and industrial businesses day in and day out and hear their needs. I have a strong work ethic and a proven track record when it comes to accomplishing my goals.”