Mayor, council sworn inClark predicts that town will prevail in bid to fend off court challenge by Charleston By Edward C. Fennell (Contact)
The Post and Courier
Thursday, August 21, 2008
The town of James Island's mayor and four council members took oaths of office Tuesday on the eve of their second two-year terms. Mayor Mary Clark and council members Leonard Blank, Joe Qualey, Bill Wilder and Parris Williams were sworn in by S.C. State Rep Wallace Scarborough. Clark took the opportunity to predict that the town will successfully fend off the city of Charleston's court challenge to the legality of the town's incorporation in 2006. The city prevailed twice before when it challenged the legality of the first two incarnations of the town, first formed in 1992. The city's third incorporation challenge is pending in Circuit Court. Circuit Judge Cordell Maddox Jr. heard arguments in April but has not issued a ruling. Clark, who served two terms as mayor in the second version of the town, said she is confident that a positive ruling will come. "I think it will be favorable. I feel it in my gut," she said, offering thanks to "all the patriots who stand with the town." The new council terms begin Sept. 1. A municipal election that was scheduled for Aug. 5 was canceled when no one signed up to run against Clark or council members. Marilyn Bowers, director of the Charleston County Board of Elections and Voter Registration, said state law allows for cancelling an election when there are no contests. No one filed to get on the ballot, and no one took advantage of a 14-day period in which candidates could declare their intention to run as a write-in, she said. |
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Comments
This article has 5 comment(s)
Posted by STREETLAW on August 21, 2008 at 8:44 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It is a pity that Wallace lends himself to these miscreants. But then Mayor Mary Clark did actively campaign for him and helped engineer his razor thin victory over Eugene Platt.
If the State Ethics Commission and the SC Commission of Lawyer Misconduct do their jobs, perhaps the citizens of James Island will get a clearer picture of those who crafted this Town of the few, by the few, and for the few.
No matter how hard they try to represent themselves as patriots defending the Island from Joe Riley, they have a self serving agenda and represent a very narrow spectrum of the town's citizens. Unfortunately, the apathy of the majority of voters is letting them get away with it.
They talk about keeping James Island the way it was. What they mean by that is the way it was when they and those of their ilk ran everything and ran over anyone who got in their way.
The only large areas of James Island left to save from development are the large tracks of heirs property in the Grimball Road area which Councilmen Wilder and Parrish most appropriately represent. That area represents half of the land mass of the current town. And you can bet that will change as soon as the legal ramifications of ownership are ironed out.
It is a pity that the judge delayed his ruling on the town and other agencies did not act as quickly as they might have or there may have been more participation in the recent election than there was. That no one even ran as a write in candidate may be due to the confusion generated over that process by the town appointed election commission. You might have thought they would have had a responsibility to hold the election to give the citizens a chance to write someone in, but apparently it doesn't work that way.
And since, there is no way to recall elected officials in South Carolina, we are going to be stuck with this agents of spin and political patronage until either the next election; the town is dissolved; or they get their hands caught far enough down in the cookie jar to warrant a legal remedy.
Can't be soon enough.
Posted by icbmman on August 21, 2008 at 8:55 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Well said, streetlaw. This sham of a town is clearly indicated when no one even remotely challenges the incumbent pseudo-government officials. Many JI-ers think that JI is part of Chas anyway, which might explain why there is such apathy towards the pseudo-town.
I don't know why the judge is delaying the decision on the case, but one thing is certain: the decision needs to be made to dissolve the town once and for all. It is a costly sham that screws not just JI-ers, but every city in the county.
Posted by STREETLAW on August 21, 2008 at 7:31 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Yes ICBMMAN I can totally agree with you, perhaps for different reasons. Trouble is even if the town is desolved the same bunch will have control of the PSD for decades unless the citizens finally wake up to their civil duty and vote the rascals out.
As to why the judge has take so long, perhaps he just wants to give the appearances he is giving the matter a careful review. Actually, some violations of the incorporation rules which were cited by the State Supreme Court ruling the last go around, weren't changed by the special legislation in effect this time.
I personally think a suit claiming lawyer malpractice may be in order for anyone taking the town's part if they should have known better.
Mayor Clark is a person who, by her own admission, never apologizes for anything she does. Maybe she got that from Nixon. But having that kind of mentallity is scary in a public official at any level of government.
Thing I have to wonder is whose nest are being feathered under cover of official right while this mockery of a town exist. And will they ever get caught, and maybe, just maybe, required to apologize and do so publically.
Time will tell.
Posted by Slick50 on August 22, 2008 at 5:05 a.m. (Suggest removal)
In a bizarre turn of events today, the mayor and town council were sworn in rather than sworn at.
Posted by jifdeng3 on August 22, 2008 at 9:29 a.m. (Suggest removal)
The whole town and the people who run it are a joke. How can Charles Rhodes be the towns "saftey director" and run on the PSD commission. Is that not a conflict of interest? Not to mention, what is he a safety director of? The phantom police and fire departments? Karen Thompson is on the PSD commission too. She does everything she can to vote against anything we do. I am an employee of the public service district and I would like to join mine in the voices against this joke of a town. I wish this judge would get off his ass and rule in this case so these maniacs can go find something else to do.