Author: LLPAC

Today the Lowcountry Livability PAC announced their endorsements for the Charleston County Council Race on June 9.  After vetting a multitude of knowledgeable candidates, the Lowcountry Livability PAC has decided to endorse the following in the primaries:

Rob Wehrman in the Democratic Primary for County Council 3

Kylon Middleton in the Democratic Primary for County Council 6

LaDon Paige in the Republican Primary for County Council 6

The issues facing Charleston County has never been greater. Issues range from sea level rise, to flooding, the bus rapid transit line, and jump starting our local economy. The time for strong competent leadership is more important now than ever before.

Rob Wehrman – A public defender in Charleston who is incredibly committed to public service, good government, and the environment. He will be a stickler for making sure public funds are spent appropriately and a significant advocate for County taxpayers.

Kylon Middleton – The minister at Mount Zion AME in Downtown Charleston. He is a Charleston native who understands the importance of protecting the quality of life in Charleston. He’s been involved in numerous civic and community efforts over the last decade and is committed to ensuring the kind of zoning decisions we support in outer West Ashley where the district covers.

LaDon Paige – A veterinarian at West Ashley Vet. She is a political newcomer who is committed to making sure constituents have a voice on council. She was involved in a neighborhood effort fighting against a big billboard developer and was inspired to run for council.

The Lowcountry Livability PAC was founded in 2017. They serve as the only group who is focused on political influence on the local level when it comes to livability issues. In 2019, they supported five candidates, four of which were victorious. The three new members on City Council dramatically improved the landscape of Charleston City Council.

Lowcountry Livability PAC
Contact: Hugh C. Lane Jr., board member
hlane@banksc.com

FOR RELEASE: Oct. 3, 2019

CHARLESTON, SC — The Lowcountry Livability PAC announces that, after careful consideration, it has endorsed the following candidates for Charleston City Council in the Nov. 5 election:

• • District 1: Angela Drake
  • District 3: Jason Sakran
  • District 5: Karl Brady Jr.
  • District 7: The Rev. Christian King
  • District 9: Peter Shahid
  • District 11: Ross Appel

Charleston residents are ready for real leadership to tackle flooding and livability issues. Clearing out drains isn’t enough and tinkering with the budget isn’t enough. We need serious investment in eliminating flooding from West Ashley to Downtown. If we don’t act now and in a substantial way, Charleston will drown. We’ll lose hundreds of years of history and billions of dollars in economic activity. These candidates have proven they understand the issues and will take meaningful action once elected. The time for empty rhetoric from Charleston City Council is over.

Interviews will soon be posted on our website (https://livabilitypac.org). At this time, the Lowcountry Livability PAC has declined to endorse in this year’s mayoral race.

About the PAC

In 2017, a group of citizens from the City of Charleston and Charleston County gathered to discuss a number of issues that were negatively impacting their neighborhoods and the region at large. It was evident that decision-making by local governments was marked by divisiveness rather than unity.

This group felt strongly that more issues unite, rather than divide, the communities and municipalities throughout the region. And it was apparent that organizing our efforts was the best way to ensure that our elected officials would address these issues, such as housing affordability, transportation, climate change, and tourism management.

This is the third year the PAC has made endorsements.

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This op-ed from the Post and Courier, written by one of the PAC’s organizers, Hugh Lane, Jr., clearly describes the funding options available to address flooding. He says

“At the moment, it is indisputable that the only two readily available, consequential sources of funds to deal with flooding are the Charleston County half-cent sales tax and funding from the state transportation infrastructure bank.”

The two funding sources, Hugh points out, are much more suitable than the city’s proposal to use Accommodations and Hospitality taxes for flood abatement.

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We don’t have to remind any of you that this is a critical time for our region. The decisions we make today will determine whether Charleston remains a viable, vital place in the 21st century.

Read more at the Post and Courier.

Over the past few months, the Lowcountry Livability PAC team has been pulling the machinery together to provide our supporters and activists timely information about local issues that affect the Charleston community.

We are deeply grateful for the generous contributions that have made this possible. This core support will allow us to track and report on the performance of our city and county council members, and to assist those members and candidates who are committed to preserving the integrity of the Charleston area now and in the future.

Between now and early September we intend to interview candidates, including incumbents, for the Charleston county council races in November. We will send you these interview results.

In the case of incumbents, we will provide you with voting records and summaries of members’ efforts to advance a livability agenda.

You probably know that the Charleston City Council and mayoral races are scheduled for November, 2018. We will send regular reports on livability discussions and efforts at the City between now and then, along with candidate profiles.

Specifically, we are following council discussions and votes on flooding, short term rentals, cruise ships, development, affordable housing, hotels, greenbelt funds, pedestrian and bicycle policies and infrastructure, public transit and other subjects that affect our quality of life and the long term viability of the region. We will report to you on these issues.

We want to emphasize that our role is specifically to advance these causes by providing information on local elected officials and candidates. We are fortunate to have a number of organizations in the region that provide policy analysis, issue advocacy, grassroots organizing and otherwise promote livability in every way except through electoral action. This is the narrow, but essential, niche the Lowcountry Livability Pac fills.

Although we are not formally affiliated with them, we will rely on these groups — including

Preservation Society

Historic Charleston Foundation

Charleston Moves

Coastal Conservation League

Charleston Waterkeeper

Lowcountry Land Trust

Groundswell

Best Friends of Lowcountry Transit

and others — for context, substance and analysis on these issues, and we will complement, but not replace, their outreach and organizing efforts.

The Lowcountry Livability PAC team

In May, LLPAC requested candidate feedback from all declared candidates in the 2018 Charleston County Council races.

The questionnaire, developed by the organization’s steering committee, asks questions of the candidates on a variety of issues pertaining to livability in the Lowcountry community. The questionnaire was produced in order to assess candidates’ knowledge of (and commitment to) the goal of livability for our citizens. Completion of the questionnaire is the first step for a candidate seeking an endorsement from LLPAC in the cycle. After review, candidates will be invited to interview with the steering committee before endorsements are issued.

Focus areas of the 2018 County Council questionnaire include transit, water management and flooding issues, racial equity, and ethics, among other general livability challenges.

You can download and read the questionnaire here.

In the 2017 Charleston City Council races, LLPAC’s first electoral cycle, LLPAC changed the conversation in three races to the livability issues that need smart solutions from responsible and responsive leaders.

LLPAC’s endorsement and investment won a City Council seat for James Island with the election of Carol Jackson in District 12. In District 6, LLPAC leveled the playing field and took Amy Brennan, our endorsed candidate, to a runoff against the incumbent, refocusing the conversation to embrace the issues LLPAC raised. LLPAC also infused more than $6,000 independent expenditure into the District 2 race.

In the general election and District 6 runoff, we targeted almost 7,000 voters across the city, mailed more than 30,000 pieces of mail, served more than 500,000 digital ads, and placed more than 13,000 phone calls. More than 2,600 people saw content we shared on Facebook, and we’ve received good media coverage.

Overall, the LLPAC organization raised and spent more than $30,000 in support of the candidates we endorsed, a good start in our inaugural year. With you, we are ready to elevate our shared issues with the Charleston County Council candidates. Contribute today.

Lowcountry Livability PAC (LLPAC), a group founded by Charleston residents committed to advocating livability as a governing principle, today announced its endorsement of three candidates for the Charleston City Council. Each candidate has demonstrated a commitment to livability issues, protecting our community, and balancing the needs of a diverse community where people live, work, and play.

The endorsed candidates are:

Councilmember Rodney Williams, District 2 (West Ashley)

Amy Brennan, District 6 (James Island, Downtown)

Carol Jackson, District 12 (James Island)

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Statement from Charlie Smith, LLPAC steering committee member and West Ashley resident:

“Charleston City Council is in need of vocal leadership on crucially important matters of livability. Lowcountry Livability PAC is backing a slate of candidates that will govern with a unique focus on livability matters and be leading voices for our community.

“Citizens in District 2 should re-elect Councilmember Rodney Williams. His commitment to thoughtful planning in West Ashley, smart governance on community resiliency, and remarkable record on quality of life initiatives are attributes essential to effective governance on City Council and deserving of a second term.

“Charlestonians in District 6 and 12 should welcome the new voices of Amy Brennan and Carol Jackson. Amy Brennan’s career-long commitment to creative collaboration, including public/private partnerships, is an innovative model that will serve City Council well as it tackles issues like sea level rise and transportation infrastructure. She well understands these issues, and understands greatly how to implement the best ideas and maximize effectiveness.

“Carol Jackson’s commitment to smart preservation, especially communities and landscapes, and tenacious dedication to understanding the unique needs of the Lowcountry means she’s ready to lead from day one on growth issues, cultural diversity, and housing with fresh ideas and determined resolve.”

Candidates have earned their endorsement from Lowcountry Livability PAC through a process that included a review of a candidate’s record on these issues, as well as completion of a written assessment and interviews with the LLPAC Steering Committee.