Smoke and Mirrors Georgetown resident need to search their souls and decide if more of the same is really good for you. Your property values are going up and the city is trying to find ways to relieve you of that property to put in the hands of people associated with the elcted officials. Economic growth is stagnant. City Council doesn't have the backbone to make the City Administrator honor it's own conract. There is no guidance or direction from the elected officials. City council member disobey ordinances openly and without penalty. What is really going on? Why can't you guys get it together. I proudly tell everyone who ask that Georgetown SC is my hometown even though it is seemingly led by buffoons. Sad!

Posted by CJW on 8/29/2008

Again it was shown to the concerned citizens of Georgetown that Steve Thomas continues to hold something over the heads of the Mayor and City Council. A New broom sweeps clean and I know a year out for a new Mayor is a long long time. Can we impeach the mayor? People, lets find good candidates that have integrity. We are to learn from our mistakes. If we thump a bible lets us at least read and understand what we quote. I bet Steve never knew that passage he quoted at Rotary was in the bible before Lynn Wood looked it up and gave it to him. Looks like Lynn Wood doesn't open the bible like he used to. His walk is really a disappointment to the City of Georgetown. But coming Soon it will be time for us make our voices heard by voting. I have heard no one lately support anyone on our current Council except for Peggy Wayne and Mr C Smalls. Why is Lynn Wood so afraid to let Steve Thomas Go? By-the-way I still have family in Conway and there are no regrets about the Loss of Steve Thomas. It is a great place to live and breath and have their being. I understand that the people in City Hall can have conversations without having their conversations taped or questions asked what was said. They are allowed to talk to the Council members and not questioned what was said. I am sure the one person that wanted to tell the other side must have had their relative move with Steve to Georgetown and they probably still say he is a good guy. Good raise and good promotions ha ha. Pray for Georgetown and the United States of America. Who pays for Steves Gas to run back and forth to Conway?? Is the City fueling his Car?? Thank You Georgetown Times. A News Paper with a Back Bone.

Posted by Ready Ready for Change on 8/25/2008

Has anyone wondered why? Incumbents get away with more and more the longer they are in office.They do this by forming a boys club of lon time incumbents in city and county government and look out for each other in their personal endeavors. Pull back the rug and take a peek! i.e. pin oaks and the previous "apartments" Lynn wood sold to his neighbors as an old folks home that became a low income housing project. Why would he de-value his own property? Isn't it odd banks he worked for provided financing? Isn't it a coincidence he goes into real estate? Follow the money. Too many of our politicians are for sale. Do you really believe lyn wood would buy a house,move it into a neighborhood and raise a family,then destroy his own property value with those projects when he has the power to stop it without something in it for him elswhere? Maybe thomas knows too much.

Posted by The truth on 8/25/2008

If he has breached his contact and not moved, it sounds like to me that he forfiets any of his contract - like his four months of pay. He should post his house "For Sale", I do not think Conway wants him hanging around. Former Conway employees? How can Conway problems be a good thing for Georgetown.

Posted by Just listening on 8/25/2008

If he has breached his contact and not moved, it sounds like to me that he forfiets any of his contract - like his four months of pay. He should post his house "For Sale", I do not think Conway wants him hanging around. Former Conway employees? How can Conway problems be a good thing for Georgetown.

Posted by Just Listening on 8/24/2008

Barber actually does nothing in the school district other than running to a place where no work is going on.He is real good at this. He actually has it made. This is a morale problem among employees who work. Employes just shake their heads. It is scary that he is also on the city council. And we ask what is wrong.

Posted by District Employee Who Works on 8/24/2008

Resident, you couldn't have said it any better!!!!

Posted by Amen!! on 8/23/2008

How does Barber weigh in on this issue? He is so apathetic that he doesn't even attend the meetings. You'd think a pro-tem would at least be present in times like these. I understand he's been away from his full time assignment (notice I didn't say job) on professional leave. This guy has it made!!!

Posted by Forget Me Not on 8/23/2008

Conway seems to be doing great since Steve Thomas departed. It looks like growth everywhere.

Posted by Georgetown resident on 8/23/2008

Re: Things are not always as they seem. You're probably not, but you sure sound like you could be Steve's wife. I don't think anyone has questioned his ability to be an 'honorable' or 'hardworking' man. We are questioning his ability to perform as a City Administrator and to the majority of those who have posted on this board including some who have been here much long than I, the answer seems to be he can't to the standards desired. I'm glad that you found a home in SOUTHERN Horry county. You can still enjoy the beauty and culture of Georgetown County. In my experience as one who in the past has sold real estate, when one looking for property talks about 'inflated prices', 'high taxes', etc. that means that they are looking at properties that they cannot afford to begin with. If you haven't noticed yet, we have a paper mill that employs hundreds of citizens, and when the wind blows in a particular direction, the area STINKS! But, the only things that stink around here on a daily basis are the mayor, city administrator, and the majority of those on city council.

Posted by Resident on 8/23/2008

Why is this board so negative when epeaking of Steve Thomas? Having had a family member who formally worked for him in Conway, we think Steve Thomas is an honorable and hardworking man who always has time for his employees. He has done a good job, especially considering he is responsible for a town that is lost in a time warp and does not want to grow or change. As for his other positions in other towns, as with many political positions, the job of any town administrator is about as secure as a Baptist preacher. NOT.... My husband and I were going to purchase a home in Georgetown and could not find a suitable property. There were few choices, the prices were inflated, the taxes were high and the town STINKS! Thankfully were found a home in a progressive area in Southern Horry County. Every town has a "Peggy Wayne" capable of planting a negative seed in the mind of other council members and the community. Conway certainly has their "Peggy Wayne" and she (in her mind)was successful in getting rid of Steve Thomas. She's still there and continues to plant her seeds. That indeed was Conway's loss. Things are not always as they seem.....

Posted by Things are not always as they seem..... on 8/22/2008

I attended the council meeting last night and was not at all surprised that Mr. Thomas was allowed to stay. We only have one council member who is truly standing up for the citizens of our town. Peggy Wayne is the only one who even seems to care what the public thinks. I think part of the problem may be that the members of the council have been around so long they think they are superior to the public and obviously could care less about us. I have admired the mayor all of my life and had respect for him. our town is falling apart at the hands of Thomas, Wilson, Scoville, and Sawyer. I really do not know what hold Thomas has over them. I always thought more of these men than this and I am ashamed I even use to take pride in having a personal relationship with them. Something has got to change . Our beautiful town is suffering at the hands of incompetent individuals who obviously could not find their way out of a wet paper bag together much less on their own.

Posted by not a surprise on 8/22/2008

I for one was stunned this morning at the headlines about Steve Thomas being able to save his job again! Anyone who has had to approach City Hall or any of their departments has felt the sting of being treated to insufficient information or having your pleas for information ignored. Their telephones must only allow calls to come in and not call out because I don't think anyone down there has ever returned a call to me in a timely manner if at all, and Steve Thomas is the worst of the group. He should set a good example not the one he has, by showing the citizens that he thinks that we are idiots. The worst of it is that we (and our elected officials)sit back and let him slide by and ignore the citizens and the terms of the contract that he has with the citizens of Georgetown. He is clearly in violation of his contract with us. I think that City Council should issue him a fine of $1087.50 (the amount they typically fine a citizen for each day you are not in compliance with one of their rules)for each day that he is is in violation of the terms of his contract. I hope that City Council has a plan to rectify this personel issue, because right now they have lost one of their supporters and I hope that they have enjoyed their time of service because there are alot more people who are disgusted with this than you probably imagine. There is a saying "LEAD, FOLLOW, OR GET OUT OF THE WAY". If you aren't going to "LEAD" us, then "GET OUT OF THE WAY"

Posted by Silent Majority on 8/22/2008

I attended the meeting. Unfortunately, we were anything but stunned by the outcome. What we were was disappointed that, once again, we had been let down. As far as talking for a few minutes in the parking lot, we'd had an hour and 2 minutes to catch up with each other.

Posted by Local 2 on 8/22/2008

I am sooooo totally fed up with this mayor and his council men (notice i didn't say women). They don't seem to understand that they work for us, the citizens who elected them. I can't wait for the next election. I hope all of them, with the exception of Peggy, are crying and wondering what happened because they won't have a clue.

Posted by Local on 8/22/2008

I have lived here all of my life and keep getting dissapointed Time and Time again by the (SO CALLED LEADERS OF OUR CITY),Georgetown is a Beautiful City but not growing economically as we should We have International Paper Co., The Steel Mill,The State Department and The City of Georgetow for our best Employment . LOWE'S WOULD HAVE BEEN GREAT FOR US AS MUCH FOR JOBS AND SHOPPING.tHE OLD SAYING OF SHOP AT HOME? WELL THERE IS NOT MANY PLACES TO SHOP AT HOME. Looks like Lynn Wood Wilson (whom I always admired until lately)and Steve Thomas are holding us back . What do they have on you people on City Council? You say one thing and do another . I might not be the Smartest person but I didn't fall off of the Turnip Truck Yesterday. HEADS UP PEOPLE ,LETS GET IT STRAIGHTENED OUT ONCE AND FOR ALL.

Posted by Georgetown Resident/ 66yrs on 8/22/2008

I too saw that little story the Sun News posted today. It's about time they report on the "Steve's job is in trouble" story. They haven't written a word about it before today. Thanks Georgetown Times for realizing the importance of this situation.

Posted by Peggy Wayne 4 Mayor on 8/22/2008

I have read an article in the Sun News concerning Steve Thomas' proposed plan in keeping his job and obviously was allowed to present that to Council last night and was accepted by Council. There was a letter signed by 5 Council members asking for his resignation or be fired, but for some reason as with other issues, Council did not enforce that letter and refused to act on their demands of him. How can any of the Council members believe for one second that their positions are not also in jeopardy because over and over they will not/do not act in the best interests of the Citizens of Georgetown who put them in office?

Posted by Let down by Council, again on 8/22/2008

As a child growing up in Georgetown, my parents would take us to Myrtle Beach or Charleston if we needed to do any shopping or for amusement (the Beach or the Pavilion). As I got older, I watched Myrtle Beach expand and grow towards Murrells Inlet and Pawley's Island and the same thing with Mount Pleasant. It seems like everything from the north stops at Pawley's and nothing is coming your way from the south either. Over the past 20+ years, since I left Georgetown, nothing has really changed. I take my son there to visit family, but other than family and friends, I see almost no reason for me to come home because there's nothing in Georgetown. From the outside, it seems as though you spend all of your time preserving the history of Georgetown but do nothing to bring an economic boost to the city and it's residents. It's utterly depressing to come home and see the same old things every time, nothing new except that the Police Department relocated and gave the entire building to the Fire Department. Then to read that the Police Department parking lot got tagged by graffiti is a joke. Most of the city's leadership is constipated and to quote the Joker from Batman, "this town needs an enema." Georgetown needs to get rid of all of the mess that's holding it back. As I read various articles, I see that all of the city officials are not bad, Peggy Wayne for example, but she cannot do it by herself. Election time is coming around soon, please get out and vote and make a change. Georgetown needs an economic boost that it will not get from the current administration...

Posted by Born and Raised on 8/22/2008

Well, I can tell you that there WILL be action taken during the next election. Peggy Wayne should have thrown that motion to fire Thomas back out on the table just to see where the Council publicly stands. I'm willing to bet all they did in Executive Session was tell Steve he needed to move or else. The whole Council and Administration remind me of the movie 'Tropic Thunder'. They're just a bunch of idiots that are acting like government officials, and getting it WRONG!

Posted by xuhong gaio on 8/22/2008

Has anyone rode through Conway lately? Did you notice all of the growth? We had the same opportunity. I wonder what happened. Remember they got rit of one and started growing, we picked that one up and stopped!!!!

Posted by Just wondering!!! on 8/22/2008

I also think City Council and Steve Thomas should be booted out. Election time is coming and I too will remind anyone I talk to how these people have treated the people of the City of Georgetown. I am so ashamed of whats going on. Maybe it would be a good idea to have a picket line in front of City Hall. How can Steve Thomas, City Council and the Mayor face the citizens of Georgetown? They have more brass on their face than I do. Paige, why did you sell us out??? I would have never thought you would do this. Elections can't get here fast enought for me.

Posted by Another Georgetown Resident on 8/22/2008

This town is pathetic and a joke. I can not believe I built a home here.... of course it will not sell, who in their right mind would move into this place.... Steve Thomas will not- how about you buy my house! The town is never going to grow or expand with these short sighted and narrow minded individuals.

Posted by Disappointed G-town resident on 8/22/2008

Ashamed, unfortunately I have to agree with you. I too am ashamed, but most importantly disappointed in our supposed city government. ALL of you are a bunch of cowards and an embarrassment as representatives of Georgetown.

Posted by Ashamed, Disappointed and Embarrassed on 8/22/2008

I am truly ashamed to claim Georgetown as my home. The "gang that couldn't shoot straight" is certainly making a shambles of our once fair City. I thought reasonable minds would prevail, but it will take years to replace this gutless bunch that ducks responsibility.

Posted by Ashamed on 8/22/2008

Just another lie from our City Administrator. He asked for an extension of two weeks and stated he would resign, but he didn't. He signed a Contract stating that he would relocated to Georgetown after a year, but he didn't. Lies, lies, lies and it seems the Mayor and City Council are protecting his lies by not firing him. He should not be allowed any more time. Get him out of Georgetown NOW.

Posted by City of Georgetown Resident on 8/22/2008

This headline should have read Mayor & City Council fail residents again!!

Posted by Voting & Taxpaying Resident on 8/22/2008

Council and the Mayor are obviously oblivious to the voice of the voters, but I can guarantee them the voice of the voters will be loud and clear to them when re-election comes around. I for one, will constantly be reminding the voters how Council and the Mayor have failed the Citizens of Georgetown.

Posted by Wanda Morris on 8/22/2008

All you need to do is ask Paige why he defended Steve Thomas. Paige told the council Steve should stay. ASK HIM WHY!

Posted by Ask Paige on 8/22/2008

This absolutely stuns me and reinforces my beliefs that we do need so desperately to get rid of the Mayor and possibly all of City Council. What is the excuse not to get rid of Thomas?

Posted by Disappointed Resident on 8/22/2008

I would have thought that Council would have heard the pleas from the citizens of Georgetown, but Steve Thomas has won again. What kind of hold does he have over you? How can you let him treat the people of Georgetown in such a manner? How long can this continue? The council men are committing political suicide and they just don't figure it out. Job well done sirs!!!!!!!!! My vote counts and so do the most of people who are just fed up.

Posted by Another Georgetown Resident on 8/22/2008

Georgetown is so messed up,that the administrator wont even live here.

Posted by tax payer on 8/22/2008

So I hear the town of Manning IS now getting a Lowe's. I thnk council has let the city continue to decline with all of their stupidity in welcoming businesses and allowing staff to enforce to the extreme. We are all paying a heavy price.

Posted by Georgetown Resident on 8/22/2008