Last Updated on 12/1/2008

Published on 8/28/2008

By Scott Harper

sharper@gtowntimes.com

Monday is Labor Day which, traditionally, has been the unofficial kickoff for the election season each year, especially in local politics.

There are four Georgetown County Council seats up for grabs on November. The District 3 seat will go to Democrat Leona Tiger Miller who won her party's primary in June. She has no November opposition.

In the District 2 race, longtime Council member and Republican Ron Charlton faces Democrat James Sanderson in November.

Charlton will be featured in Monday's edition of the Georgetown Times.

James Sanderson

Sanderson, 56, wasted no time diving into the conversation about his bid for a Georgetown County Council seat when he sat down for an interview recently.

"I am running for county council to address the issue no one else is addressing," he said before the first question was asked. "My platform foundation is jobs jobs jobs."

Sanderson, president of the United Steelworkers of America Local 7898, said his experience within the steel industry will help him with his goal of lowering the local unemployment rate.

"You have to really demonstrate and exhibit to potential investors and clients that Georgetown County is open for business," Sanderson - a former member of the Georgetown County Parks and Recreation Commission - said.

Sanderson said a business that was supposed to locate in Andrews a few years ago decided to build in Williamsburg County instead because of the treatment the owner received locally.

"Rich Howard was the guy's name and Metal Tech Systems was the name of the company," Sanderson said.

He said Howard was given a different set of stipulations for the company at the end of the negotiations than he was given when the talks began.

"It was negotiating in bad faith," Sanderson said. "He felt if this was an example of what he would have to deal with in Georgetown County, he didn't want to have a part of it."

If elected, Sanderson said he will work to "form a partnership with the various agencies in Georgetown County" and community meetings will be held to receive input on what types of jobs they would like to see recruited.

After that input is gathered, Sanderson said all the local and state elected officials need to get together to create a strategy for the job recruitment.

"We will then see what is available out there that we can lobby to bring to Georgetown."

He admits tourism is a vital part of Georgetown County's economy but too much emphasis, he said, is placed on that area and not enough focus is placed on industrial development.

"It seems like there is a small group of people who are being allowed to steer Georgetown in (the tourism only) direction."

Sanderson sites the boat landing being built along the Sampit River in Maryville as an example.

"The locals will not benefit from that boat landing. When the tourists fill up all the spaces there will be no more room for the locals," he said.

There is a big imbalance, Sanderson said, in the recent $300 million - plus Capital Improvements Project passed by council this year.

"If you are spending 90-something million dollars in Parks and Recreation and only $7 million in economic development, something is wrong. You have to address the needs before you address the wants. Jobs are very much needed in Georgetown County. Our children should not have to leave Georgetown to find a job."

On the issue of taxes, Sanderson said: "I will not vote to raise any taxes as a member of county council."

He said bringing industry will increase the tax base without placing that burden on residents.

He also said he is the "only person running for office or sitting in office that has addressed the issue of illegal aliens."

Sanderson said the county "can do a lot of stuff" to make sure everyone here is here legally. As an example, he said county building inspectors can ask to see green cards when out at a construction site.

"What have you heard the current county council say about illegal aliens? Nothing has been brought up at any council meetings about it," he said.

Sanderson said if he is elected he predicts there will be battles.

"I am not a rubber stamp type person. I will not just go in and support the county administrator because he feels something is the right thing to do."

Sanderson said he feels there is a lot of "rubber stamping" going on within the county.

He also said not being a business owner gives him an advantage over Charlton, owner of Coastal Cable.

"The only business I have - which I do very good - is representing people."

Since being elected, Charlton's critics have had a lot to say about him both politically and personally. Sanderson said he wants to keep his campaign focussed on the political issues, not personal attacks.

"I do not have any intention at all of bringing up anything personal. If he elects to go down that path, then I will counter because I have no reason to do that."

That does not mean Sanderson is holding back politically.

"He has no vision as far as the future of Georgetown County goes. His idea of economic development is housing developments. That puts the tax load on the people."

Sanderson and his wife, Julie, have three children: Jamie, 30; Laura, 27 and Steve, 23. A native of Folkston, Ga., Sanderson has lived in South Carolina for 46 years. He moved to Georgetown in 1974 and began working at Georgetown Steel.

He is a 32nd degree Mason and a Yorkrite and is a member of Wayne United Methodist Church.