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

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Plans for new James Island town discussed during small gathering

By: JASON HARDIN    Of The Post and Courier Staff
Originally Published on: 12/04/01
Page: B5

     James Island residents seeking to create a new town on the suburban island are on the verge of finishing the process needed for a referendum on the issue, they said Monday.
     That process, which would culminate in an application to the S.C. Secretary of State’s office, involves proving that the town would conform to state laws governing the incorporation of new municipalities.
     These include showing that the town would include more than 15,000 residents, among other requirements.
     Incorporation backer Paul Hadley said the proposed town meets those requirements, but the process of collecting the information has been slower than anticipated.
     “A lot of bureaucracy has gotten in our way,” he said during a lightly attended meeting of about two dozen residents.
     Organizers said difficulties in getting the word out and seasonal distractions resulted in the low turnout.
     State Rep. Wallace Scarborough, who lives in the city of Charleston’s portion of James Island but supports the incorporation effort, said forming a municipality would help the island attract funds that now go elsewhere.
     That could help ease the island’s traffic woes, he suggested, by paying for road and transportation projects.
     “We lose a tremendous amount of money. It’s disgusting to me,” Scarborough said.
     James Island resident John Seiler said creating a new town might help slow down the growth that he sees eroding the island’s character and pouring more cars onto the island’s roads.
     Attorney Trent Kernodle said the remaining chores include gathering more signatures on petitions calling for a referendum. More signatures than the roughly 2,000 necessary have been collected, he said, but incorporation backers want even more, to be on the safe side in case some are invalid.
     If voters approve the referendum, it would be the second town of James Island. The first town lasted a few years during the mid-1990s until the S.C. Supreme Court ruled it was created illegally by crossing waterways and other territory claimed by the city of Charleston. A law passed in 2000 by the General Assembly makes such crossings legal
    
     Jason Hardin covers the city of Charleston. Contact him at 937-5549 or at jhardin@postandcourier.com. .
    
    

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