A few thoughts about the possible 2011 make-up of the Camden County Board of Commissioners.

I'm sure you all will recall that Steve Berry was the first and only commissioner to immediately object to Charlene Sears attempt to have the impact fees suspended. You may also recall that before the end of that very meeting, I was at the podium denouncing the proposed move as "bone-headed" idiocy.


Now, come January 1, 2011, here is all we know for sure.


1. Steve Berry will have been gone since the end of August, replaced by someone elected not by the voters of Berry's district, but by Rainer, Sears, Zell, and Keene, all four of whom were set to vote to suspend impact fees until the public outcry became too great to ignore. Ergo, Steve's replacement may very well be someone in favor of sweet heart deals for developers at the expense of the taxpayers.


2. Rainer and Keene will definitely still be there.


3. Representing District 3 will be Zell, or E.B. Herrin, or Chuck Clark, Jr. At this point I know absolutely nothing about Chuck Clark, Jr. However, I do know that either Zell or Herrin would almost certainly vote with David Rainer virtually 100% of the time.


4. Charlene Sears, by her own decision, will not be there. District 4 will be represented by Gary Blount, or Royal Weaver, or me. Based upon his past actions as a city councilman, his being a real estate developer himself, and his having multiple people involved in real estate as clients in his CPA practice, it is not at all unreasonable to expect that he will be at least amenable to, if not actually push, sweet heart deals for developers. Royal Weaver and I both spoke out repeatedly in several different venues against the plan to suspend impact fees. I can't speak for Royal, but if elected, I plan to push for higher impact fees that more closely track with the actual costs of the infrastructure yet allow Camden County to remain competitive with other similarly desirable coastal counties. The current rates are way below that optimum level.


I would encourage you to look at your choice to represent District 4 in the context of the possible make-up and legislative leanings of the entire Camden County Board of Commissioners come 2011.

I would deeply appreciate your voting for me on July 20th.



Thank you.