James Island looks to future, may face new suit

BY JASON HARDIN
Of The Post and Courier Staff

     Less than a day after James Islanders voted overwhelmingly to form their own town, potential leaders looked back to what made the referendum successful and forward to the issues the town needs to address.
     The new town of James Island faces a number of issues right off the bat, even before it officially has a government. That will come after town residents elect a mayor and council in four weeks.
     Candidates for office say the town needs to address the growth and traffic issues that many voters cited as a reason for creating the town. But they also face a potential lawsuit from the city of Charleston, which successfully sued the first town and has already hinted at another legal action.
     Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. said Tuesday that the city has a duty to explore the legality of the incorporation. That disappointed town backers, who interpreted the comment as meaning that a lawsuit is soon to come. They pointed to the town's large margin of victory - nearly 70 percent of voters chose to incorporate - and said they hope to be left alone.
     "It's really sad that you can't let people speak for themselves," said Kay Kernodle, who is running for mayor of the town. "I would hope that the city of Charleston would extend the southern hospitality that they're so proud of to James Island."
     Mary Clark, who is running_ against Kernodle for mayor, said she would not be surprised by a lawsuit.
     "You didn't expect them to say, well, let's invite the new mayor over to a party," she said. "I think it's time they took their marbles and went home."
     Town backers said they are confident the incorporation is legal.
     Riley was not available for comment on Wednesday. The city stands to lose some $500,000 annually in sales taxes to the town, and Charleston County and other municipalities will take similar hits.
     Clark and Kernodle both said the town immediately will begin tackling islanders' concerns after officials are elected.
     Clark said the town should set up its own planning and zoning operation. She believes the town should stick closely to Charleston County's zoning, although exceptions could be made, for example, in the case of heirs' property, which is not uncommon on the southern end of the island.
     Kernodle said she favors impact fees on new development and a study on traffic problems and solutions. She also wants more recreational opportunities for children and scholarships for students.
     Both candidates said the town would continue to use the services of the James Island Public Service District and the Charleston County Sheriff's Office, and generally should stay as small as possible.
     In addition to Clark and Kernodle, 12 candidates are running for four seats on the Town Council. Most have said they also want a small government that would stick to addressing development and traffic.
     That's what many voters who favored incorporation said they want.
     "I don't want to change too much from how we are now," Katherine Shapiro said Tuesday just after voting at the James Island Public Service District fire station on Harbor View Road. "I think this is a nice community, and I don't want to be in the city."
     "It's a pretty island, and you try to keep it more or less to nature, rather than letting people do whatever they want," said longtime resident Doug Benton, grimacing as a line of cars piled up on the road at the fire station.
     Town opponents said they worry that the largely residential town could have trouble supporting itself in the long run and questioned whether anti-Charleston feelings motivated supporters. Some blamed the defeat on a lack of time to compete with the grassroots network town supporters had formed.
     While many voters said they wanted a town to stay outside of the city of Charleston, Kernodle said she doesn't believe the vote was merely a reaction against the city generally or Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. personally.
     "They're tired of sitting in traffic. They're tired of all the construction. They're tired of not having a say on what happens on the island," she said. "I don't think it's anti-city, anti-Joe. I think people are tired of all that's been happening."
     Clark noted that Riley has suffered a run of recent defeats on the island, from the incorporation vote to an annexation vote last year that would have given the city about 1,000 new residents, to the recent City Council race on James Island, in which the Riley-endorsed candidate lost.
     "His magic touch is gone," Clark said. "I feel sorry for him because he doesn't like to lose."
     She said many island voters were put off by the last-minute opposition campaign, pointing to a letter to The Post and Courier that predicted the municipality would be "a hillbilly town for rednecks."
     Clark said that and other efforts only worked in the town's favor.
     "They said we'd have a redneck, hillbilly town. Well, you know something? I don't mind being a redneck, because they can kick some butt," she joked.
     The elections for mayor and council will be held June 18. Officials will serve two-year terms of office.
    

     Jason Hardin covers the city of Charleston. Contact him at 937-5549 or at jhardin@postandcourier.com.