Town incorporation vote to be taken

Reproduced from The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC (used with permission)

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Town incorporation vote to be taken

Thursday, May 16, 2002

BY DENESHIA GRAHAM
Of The Post and Courier Staff

     The future of unincorporated James Island will be decided Tuesday when islanders head to the polls for a town incorporation vote.
     The pivotal referendum will determine if there will be a town on the island, one of six choices on the ballot for voters.
     If islanders favor town incorporation, the next vote will be held June 18 to elect officials.
     Voting will be held by precinct from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. at the four James Island Public Service District fire stations. There are about 26,000 residents in the boundaries of the proposed town, half of them registered voters.
     The leading question on the ballot is that of town incorporation, and, if approved, will be the second time the area has become a town.
     In the early 1990s, islanders voted for incorporation and a town was formed. However, in 1997, the town was dissolved after the city of Charleston won a lawsuit in the S.C. Supreme Court, arguing that the town's boundaries were illegal because they crossed waterways already annexed by the city.
     Sen. Glenn McConnell later introduced a bill stating that marshes or waterways could not be owned and could be used by other municipalities with some distance limits.
     Trent Kernodle, attorney for the James Island Alliance for Self Government, which has been leading the incorporation effort, said Tuesday's vote is what the alliance has been working for.
     "A lot of people have worked very hard to give the folks on James Island a choice," Kernodle said in a previous interview, adding that regardless of the outcome, the choice is the important thing.
     Tuesday's vote also will decide the name of the proposed municipality, its form of government, method of election, type of election and the term of office for elected officials.
     The four voting locations are divided by precincts.
     James Island precincts 6-10 and 15 will vote at the James Island Public Service District Fire Station No. 1 at 1622 Camp Road.
     James Island precincts 5A, 5B, 11-14 and 17 will vote at the James Island PSD Fire Station No. 2 at 853 Harbor View Road.
     James Island precincts 19, 20 and 22 will vote at the James Island PSD Fire Station No. 3 at 78 Plymouth Ave.
     James Island precincts 1A and 3 and Folly Beach precinct 2 will vote at the James Island PSD Fire Station No. 4 at 1833 Folly Road.
     Contact Kernodle at 795-7800.

Reproduced from The Post and Courier, Charleston, SC (used with permission)

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