Charlton, Johnson, Beard win county council | Georgetown, SC

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Charlton, Johnson, Beard win county council

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Published on 11/5/2008
Written by Scott Harper

Anyone driving through Maryville and elsewhere in the City of Georgetown in the past couple of months knew there was a District 2 County Council race going on between incumbent Republican Ron Charlton and Democrat James Sanderson.
Thousands of dollars were spent on billboards advertising the campaigns of Charlton — whose family is in the cable TV business — and Sanderson — president of the United Steelworkers of America Local 7898.
After the most heated Georgetown County Council campaigns anyone can remember, Charlton retained his seat by a vote of 2,972 to 1,410.
Sanderson came to Charlton’s election headquarters at Maryville Social Hall at about 9:20 p.m. Tuesday to offer him his congratulations and to pledge him his support over the next four years.
Sanderson had campaigned on a platform of bringing jobs to Georgetown County, saying that he wanted to see county agencies working together to attract jobs. That included tourism agencies working with Economic Development, he said early Tuesday night.
“We need to have everybody working in the same direction,” Sanderson said. “One of the critical things is to get more people involved in county government.”
Charlton said County Council faces some mounting problems with its budget in the coming year.
“We are going to have a shortfall in revenue,” he said. But he did not think all the news would be bad for growth.
“As far as the Capital Improvement Plan goes, we need to identify parts we can do,” Charlton said. “I would like to see us purchase property while the real estate market is down a little. We need 80 acres on the Waccamaw Neck and this is the time to get it.”
The airport was another place that Charlton hoped to concentrate. He wants to explore a public-private venture to lease land and allow private companies or individuals to build hangars.
“We need to look at the taxes on planes and boats so we can keep them in Georgetown County.”
Charlton said he talked with one county resident who was moving his boat to Southport, N.C., because of Georgetown County’s tax rate.
“We need to work very carefully until we see a recovery,” Charlton said.
Charlton made very few promises during the campaign; instead, he focused on his service to the county since first being elected in 1996.
Sanderson said if elected he would concentrate on bringing jobs to the county.

District 5
In June, voters elected Republican Austin Beard to fill the unexpired term of Sel Hemingway who resigned after being hired as county administrator.
He won the seat after defeating Horry-Georgetown Technical College Provost Murray Vernon.
On Tuesday the two faced off again for the right to serve a full four-year term.
The voters decided to stick with their June decision and elected Beard, the financial manager of First Federal in Georgetown.
Beard received 1,684 votes while Vernon received 1,287 votes.

District 4
Lillie Jean Johnson served on County Council from 1992-2000 and then decided not to run again due to personal reasons.
This year, she decided the time was right to run again and she defeated incumbent Helen Rudolph in the June Democratic Primary.
Her opponent on Tuesday was Republican Bruce Yablin.
Johnson defeated Yablin 2,465 to 678.
Charlton, Beard and Johnson — along with Leona “Tiger” Miller who had no opposition for the District 3 seat — will be sworn into office in January.

RED State: DNA is suppposed to have two strands that unravel and then hook up with two others from a nearby different strand that is unraveling. When there's only one strand to the DNA, it winds around itself. That explains the British royal family, the lunatic fringes of both political parties and the population of more than one honkey tonk. They drool and grunt and walk around with their knuckles dragging on the ground. I'm told that neosporin helps with the scraps, but haven't tried myself yet. Let me know if you do.

Posted by Inquiring mind on 11/12/2008

Hey red state are you proud that a slime ball like Ron Charlton is representing you? What in the world does that say about you and your ethics. Ron is a loser ethically.

Posted by What? on 11/11/2008

"Inquiring mind" You don't like my song or are you just bitter? To the rest degrading Ron, HE WON and no amount of mud slinging can change that! HA HA HA the best man won! Stop your whining and start planning what dirt to sling next election. The result will be the same every time. Let me repeat my tune. Happy days are here again, Democrats have lost again, Ron Charlton is our councilman, Happy days are here again!

Posted by RED state on 11/11/2008

RED State: Your best grade on the DNA test a D?

Posted by Inquiring mind on 11/10/2008

Hey LOVING EVERY MINUTE I hope you are raising your kids better than that. Ron Charlton has repeatedly lied to his wife and everyone else. One of his illigetimate kids is posting on www.citizensreport.com about the true Ron Charlton. While you sit in the pew with Ron you should pray for him and Bonnie.

Posted by Reality check on 11/8/2008

Ron is the best choice. Sanderson is more interested in hearing himself talk than doing anything positive. Ron is the Man. All of Georgetown County owes Ron a pat on the back for taking the high road in this campaign.

Posted by Steelman on 11/6/2008

Thank you Mr. Ron for being the Man of God that you are. You and your loving wife have a very special relationship and anyone that knows the two of you know what kind of relationship that you two really have. I have been married for over 20 years now and other than my parents you and Ms. Bonnie are two people that I am proud to say my kids look up to and respect. Again, thank you for being you! Love to you and Ms. Bonnie, Your 5 right pew partners!!

Posted by LOVING EVERY MINUTE on 11/5/2008

I think it is sad that our county is being led by someone as immoral as Ron Charlton. That says a lot for Georgetown to elect someone who lies even today about his affairs and children out of wedlock.

Posted by sad today on 11/5/2008

Happy days are here again, Democrats have lost again, Ron Charlton is our councilman, Happy days are here again! PS we in the South are fine, if you don't like it here leave. Nobody asked you to be here in the first place and I am sure few will miss your complaining. Everyone complains about SC but every year Northerners move here by the thousands.

Posted by RED State on 11/5/2008

Real change is not gonna happen until these narrow-minded people change themselves.

Posted by My Opinion on 11/5/2008

He's back on the board. Any chance he'll come clean on the sham of making lazy boy Sel the county administrator at $130,000+ yearly salary? Talk about a waste of tax payer money!!

Posted by How about the truth? on 11/5/2008

Here we go again, the rich and well-connected running things again. Oh yeah the airport, real great idea, like any of us will ever use it, but we will pay for it over and over and over again. So sad that South Carolina does not get it, just like Lindsay Graham being elected again, like he cares about S.C. all he cared about was trying to get into McCain's administration. I hope REAL change will happen down South soon.

Posted by Tell me it isn't true on 11/5/2008

Welcome back Ms. Johnson

Posted by gerald morrison on 11/5/2008

Hahaha, I knew the people would elect the right man for the job! Congratulations Ron, and to all the mudslingers and trash talkers who did everything in their power to smear and discredit you, I TOLD YOU IT WOULDN'T WORK! GO RON!

Posted by LOL on 11/5/2008

Great, you are very depressing. Look at it on the bright side. Your group gets to bash him for four more years and you have already started it. Congratulations Mr. Ron, you are the man and you proved it!!!!

Posted by plain talker on 11/5/2008

Congratulations Ron Charlton!! You are the best man for the job!!

Posted by Charlton Supporter on 11/5/2008

Great, Another rich guy making decisions that will better suit his rich constituents than the hard working middle class in Georgetown. Enjoy the new airport, it's a sign of more useless spending that we all get to pay for. Four more years of incompetence.

Posted by Great on 11/5/2008

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