Mayoral hopefuls to attend forum

JAMES ISLAND -- Four of the five candidates for mayor of the town of James Island will participate in a debate tonight.

The forum will take place from 7-8:30 p.m. in the auditorium at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources' Fort Johnson campus. The Post and Courier's Warren Peper will moderate.

The election is Aug. 3, and there will be no runoff in either the mayoral or council races.

There also will be two referendum questions on the ballot -- one expanding council from four to six members and another lengthening council and mayoral terms from two years to four years.

Mayor Mary Clark is seeking re-election but said Monday that her record is well-known and that she will not take part in tonight's event. She said the forum should give challengers Warren Sloane, Bill Woolsey, Jonathan Brown and Brett Johnson opportunities to state what they would do if elected.

"Everybody already knows what I am, what I have done and what I would do," Clark said.

The 10 candidates seeking four Town Council seats are expected to meet and greet voters in the auditorium's lobby from 6-7 p.m. Council candidates are incumbents Leonard Blank, Bill Wilder and Parris L. Williams, and challengers James Balliet, David Engleman, Denny McKeever, Carter McMillian, Darren Troy Mullinax, Karen Wilder-Smalls and Robin Welch.

Councilman Joe Qualey, who is not seeking re-election, is running for Charleston County Council.

The League of Women Voters also is expected to hold a second forum July 22.