Question:
“Please explain why you voted for a $50 million recreation tax and stated it should be 100. I am trying to ascertain enough information so that I can make an intelligent decision as to whom to vote for. I am leaning in your direction due to your vote to increase taxes for first responders. However, I do not understand the recreation vote.”

Answer:

That’s a great question, and I appreciate anyone who takes the time to understand the reasoning behind a vote.

The 2022 recreation referendum — which passed by a majority of Mount Pleasant voters — was about letting the people decide. My vote was to place the measure on the ballot so residents, not politicians, could determine whether to invest in our town’s future.

When I said it should have been $100 million instead of $50 million, I wasn’t calling for more spending just to spend. I was pointing out the true scale of what Mount Pleasant needs.

We hadn’t built a new sports or arts facility since 2013, even as the town’s population grew by more than 30,000 people. Our existing parks, fields, and recreation spaces have become crowded and stretched thin. We’re still waiting on key projects like the Rifle Range Park and the Mugsy Kerr tennis courts to be completed — both of which have been discussed for years. Meanwhile, residents continue to ask for more tennis courts, pickleball courts, rectangular field space, and dedicated arts facilities.

If you look at the Town’s FY2025 Budget, specifically the Capital Improvement Initiative beginning on page 115, you’ll see why I’ve been vocal about long-term investment:

• Fire Station 7, Fire Station 2, and a new Fire Station 8
• Intersection and road improvements
• A new Public Safety Training Center on land we already own

Our firefighters currently train outside. An indoor facility would allow them to safely simulate real emergency and school-based scenarios, dramatically improving readiness.

Here’s another truth: since the beginning of 2023, our fire department has lost 49 out of 137 members. Only nine were due to retirement or termination — forty resigned. That’s nearly one-third of the department, and it shows how far behind we’ve fallen in supporting critical services.

When I talk about long-term planning, this is what I mean. I don’t vote for short-term politics — I vote for the long-term success, safety, and quality of life of Mount Pleasant.

I’ll let others focus on getting re-elected — I’m focused on giving the public the full picture, grounded in facts and transparency.