The Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce recently submitted a written forum via email to the candidates for the upcoming Town of Summerville Council and Summerville Commissioners of Public Works general elections.

The Chamber’s Public Policy Division exists to advocate for the interests of Chamber members and businesses in Dorchester County with a focus on impartiality. It is important to note that the Chamber does not endorse candidates and instead holds a candidate forum before state and local elections.

 In lieu of an in-person forum, the Chamber opted to send forum questions to the candidates via email with the promise of publishing their answers uncensored and in their entirety.

The following candidates for the Town of Summerville received forum questions: District 1 Candidates Aaron Brown (Incumbent) and Don Johnson; District 3 Candidate Russ Touchberry; and District 5 Candidate Kima Garten-Schmidt (Incumbent).

The questionnaire included four questions:

1. How will you address the need for regional cooperation as it pertains to area growing pains?

2. What will you do to position Summerville as a place for business success that supports all aspects of the community?

3. How have your past community experiences prepared you for a seat on Town Council?

4. What is the biggest issue facing the Town of Summerville? What do you see as a proposed solution?

At the time of this release, the Chamber has not yet received responses from Mr. Don Johnson.

Candidate answers are as follows:

Question 1: How will you address the need for regional cooperation as it pertains to area growing pains?

 Aaron Brown (AB): I will work with the Council to cooperate with the Berkeley Charleston Dorchester council of government to reduce the growing pains of Growth in our region and thus give Summerville some help with the issues caused by growth.

Russ Touchberry (RT): Growth is certainly not just a Town issue – it is happening all around us. While this is a strong indicator of how great it is to live, work, and play in our region, it is a challenge that must be proactively faced so we don’t lose our quality of life. Since it is a regional challenge, I will encourage the Town’s leadership to be, and I will be, actively engaged in regional planning and investment efforts to know where growth is happening and update and maintain our critical infrastructure as best we can ahead of it. We need to have a seat at the table and cooperate with regional efforts so that the Town’s priorities are being heard and considered as future projects, programs, and investments occur. This would include being active in the Regional Development Alliance, the Council of Governments, and industry organizations like the Chamber of Commerce, so we are best prepared for what is next and influencing decisions that benefit our citizens.

Kima Garten-Schmidt (KGS): The tri-county area along with the town, needs to work together more to serve the citizens in not only infrastructure, but other projects as well. We have started talks to pool our resources to address issues and continue to give our residents a better quality of life.

 Question 2: What will you do to position Summerville as a place for business success that supports all aspects of the community?

AB: I will work with the Council to offer incentives to attract quality businesses and review the business license fees to make the Town more competitive against other local governments in our area and thus support all aspects of our community by attracting better jobs and small business development to create the tax base to meet the fiscal needs of the Town and give tax relief to local homeowners.

 RT: This is a very complex question. “Business Success” is determined by many factors. The business location, type of business, surrounding infrastructure, available workforce, and the Town’s policies that affect the cost and ease of doing business are all essential components to a successful business. I will listen to feedback from businesses and citizens to see where we can do things better. From our planning and encouragement of business investment to our reputation for being a friendly place to do business, the Town plays an important role in supporting the success of our businesses and I want to be an active participant in making Summerville the sweetest place to do business in our region.

KGS: I feel that the town has been doing a good job with our businesses and helping with their success. We can continue to do so in recruiting new businesses that are beneficial for our residents, creating new jobs, and bring in more revenue for the community and the town.

Question 3: How have your past community experiences prepared you for a seat on Town Council?

AB: I have served this community as a teacher, discipline hearing officer for DD2 and a School Board trustee for DD2 and Vice Chair of Now defunct Dorchester County School Board. I also served at the state level as Chairman of the SC Manufactured Housing Board. I am a small business owner and understand the business end of fiscal decisions and keeping taxes low.

RT: This is a great question! So many experiences have prepared me for this role, but it all started when growing up here. Since my parents worked for the School District, I couldn’t go anywhere without people knowing me. Sometimes this was great, and sometimes it lead to me getting in trouble, but it really built a sense of community around me. After returning to Summerville in 2013, I have worked to be a contributor to this Town I love. I have been blessed to have the opportunity to meet many new people, serve in various roles with non-profits, be an appointee on the DCTA and Planning Commission for Dorchester County, and actively participate in the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce. Through all of this, I have developed a local and regional perspective, learned to listen to understand, and grew an appreciation for the diverse citizens who make this Town so great!

KGS: I’ve served on several community boards through the years. These range from American Red Cross Youth Director, Autism/Asperger’s Facilitator, Church Kids and Youth Leader, Local PTA President and local and State Arts Chair, and Military Officers Spouse Vice President and event planner. All of these in different types of communities as in Air Force installations in Germany and California, church and here in South Carolina. These positions and other volunteer opportunities, has taught me how to make decisions to better the group, their purpose and working with diverse people and backgrounds. These experiences have helped with my serving on council the last several years.

Question 4: What is the biggest issue facing the Town of Summerville? What do you see as a proposed solution?

AB: Managing growth to keep traffic in check and not lose our small Town quality of life. The solution is proper planning and sticking to our comprehensive plan making sure that growth pays for itself so that the infrastructure costs of new growth does not become burden on local taxpayers.

RT: I believe growth is the single biggest issue facing the Town. It is also one of the greatest opportunities. As discussed in the initial question of the forum, we have the opportunity to capitalize on the growth happening all around us, but we must be careful not to diminish the quality of life for our citizens. I believe our engagement in regional planning and investment is the best solution. This would provide us the best opportunity to foresee and seek out of Town investment to prepare for the growth that is coming. Being proactive and driving the right type of growth in the best location is essential. If we are reactive, we will never get ahead of it. I hope to come alongside the Mayor, Council, and Town Staff to engage and plan for Summerville’s best future.

KGS: By far the biggest issue is still traffic for our town. A few years back, we were able to complete the new off ramp at Hwy 26 and start the Maple Street extension. With the completion of this, it will help take some traffic off of Main St and the Pkwy. Now that the BGM Pkwy has got final approval, construction will start soon and will take traffic off other streets to get through and to the other side of town faster and more efficiently. The town needs to continue upgrading intersections and synchronizing lights for better flow of traffic.

The following candidates for the at-large position of Commissioner for the Summerville Commissioner of Public Works received forum questions: Stephen W. Mueller (Incumbent) and Joseph McDonald.

The questionnaire included three questions:

 1. What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the Summerville CPW at this time?

2. How will you address the potential need for tax or rate hikes to fund capital projects?

3. What is the Summerville CPW’s role as it pertains to area growth?

At the time of this release, the Chamber has not yet received responses from Mr. Joseph McDonald.

Candidate answers are as follows:

Question 1: What do you see as the biggest challenges facing the Summerville CPW at this time?

 Stephen Mueller (SM): SCPW is facing the same employment challenges as every business in the community. Even with competitive pay and an exceptional benefits package, there appears to be an insufficient pool of potential candidates interested in the water and waste water's significant role in supporting public health and safety.

Question 2: How will you address the potential need for tax or rate hikes to fund capital projects?

SM: SCPW does not receive any tax income. It is fully supported by revenue from rates, which consistently are the lowest in our region. At this time SCPW's five year capital plan is fully funded.

Question 3: What is the Summerville CPW’s role as it pertains to area growth?

 SM: SCPW's water and sewer service areas are defined boundaries. The water and wastewater systems have been designed and expanded with sufficient capacity to serve potential development and redevelopment projects within those defined boundaries. SCPW remains ready to serve our service areas, but we also contain the capacity to provide wholesale services to expanding neighboring communities.

This is the full report that includes the candidates’ uncensored and complete responses.

 Since its establishment in 1911, the Greater Summerville/Dorchester County Chamber of Commerce has been an integral part of the growth of Summerville and the surrounding areas. Our mission is to protect and promote the quality of life in the community, with specific emphasis on improving economic vitality and providing a favorable business climate.