James Island incorporation bid gathers steam

Referendum by end of year sought

By: JASON HARDIN    The Post and Courier Staff
Originally Published on: 10/02/01
Page: 1

     A referendum on whether to create a town could be held by the end of the year, said Trent Kernodle, an attorney assisting a group of island residents seeking to create a town on the suburban island.
     Town backers circulating petitions have collected more than the 2,000 or so signatures needed to hold a referendum, he said. The next step will be to formally apply to the S.C. Secretary of State's office.
     The incorporation attempt has been brewing quietly ever since the first town of James Island was dissolved in 1996, said Mary Clark, who has been organizing the effort.
     "We're used to struggle and we struggled a long time," she told the audience in James Island High School's cafeteria. "Now is our time."
     The S.C. Supreme Court ruled that the first town was created illegally because its boundaries crossed marsh and waterways claimed by the city of Charleston. The city filed the suit that led to the town's demise.
     Sentiment among some town backers against Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. is still evident - "Just Say No To Joe!" bumper stickers are being sold to raise money for the incorporation attempt.
     Town backers also claim that the city's efforts to annex land on James Island has led to a quickening of suburban sprawl and its accompanying traffic woes that have many island residents upset.
     Eugene Platt, who serves on the James Island Public Service District Commission, said the town, if created, could enact stricter zoning regulations.
     "This unbridled growth that we've seen happen, that wouldn't happen anymore," he said.
     Organizers also said island residents could benefit financially. If a town is incorporated, it would be eligible to receive a portion of the money raised by the local sales tax. That could be used to either pay for new services, to provide a rebate on property taxes for the PSD, or both, they said.
     But the main theme was how to deal with the island's transition from a sparsely populated rural enclave to a bustling bedroom community.
     "True James Islanders know how beautiful our island was ... and look at it now," said Bill Wilder, who grew up on the island. "And now we've got a chance to stop it."
     The town would include much of unincorporated James Island. Of the island's roughly 34,000 residents, about 20,000 do not live in the city of Charleston.
     If a referendum is held, incorporation would require the approval of a majority of voters in the boundaries of the proposed town. Efforts in previous decades failed before an incorporation referendum in 1993 narrowly succeeded.
    

Jason Hardin covers the city of Charleston. Contact him at jhardin@postandcourier.com or at (843) 937-5549.
         
    

Click here to send feedback.