Hargett plans to run

SUMMERVILLE -- The shredding of state money for Dorchester County and its schools has County Councilman Larry Hargett, a Republican, eyeing the Statehouse seat held for 10 terms by Republican Rep. Annette Young. Hargett has formed an exploratory committee looking at fundraising and other matters, he announced this week.

"In my seven years on County Council, I've learned to balance a budget and keep expenses low, and I don't think that's happened at the state level at all. We have a comprehensive budget plan for Dorchester County. I don't see much planning at the state level when it comes to budgets," he said.

Hargett pointed to cuts in Aid to Subdivisions state funding that is a bulwark of county funds, the loss of school funding as a result of reworking of state property taxes, and "special-interest voting" that has led to bills such as the recent tax exemption for developers who have built but not sold homes.

"That's ridiculous," Hargett said. "A lot of folks are in trouble right now, have lost a job and are sitting on a house payment. We're not giving them a tax break. I don't intend to be intimidated or coerced into voting for special interests. It's not in my fiber."

Filing for the seat opens in March 2010 for the November 2010 election. The prospective candidates would face a June 2010 primary.

Young said she will wait until January to announce if she will run but didn't suggest otherwise. She declined to comment on the Hargett announcement.

"We've had some really tough budget years," she said, adding that the state budget for the past few years has shrunk with revenue, not grown.

Reach Bo Petersen at 937-5744 or bpetersen@postandcourier.com.