Sass for County Council

Herbert Sass has solid credentials in public service and as a businessman that can help Charleston County Council steer a responsible course in these tough fiscal times.

As an avid hunter and fisherman, he also has a deep and abiding appreciation of what makes Charleston County a special place, and would be committed to working for growth management and rural preservation. The voters of the East Cooper district should elect him in Tuesday's special election to finish the unexpired term of Joe McKeown, who left council to work as a staffer with 1st District Rep. Tim Scott, R-S.C.

Mr. Sass, a Republican, is a fiscal conservative and praises County Council for holding the line on taxes. He can be expected to approach the job with the same consideration for county taxpayers. For example, he wants to explore consolidation of services among local jurisdictions offers for possible savings.

As a real estate appraiser, he has worked the length of Charleston County. In that position, he has helped landowners with conservation easements, an essential method of land preservation in Charleston County.

He endorses the county's comprehensive plan, which he says is "a great road map" to determine where development should go -- and where it shouldn't.

Mr. Sass, who has lived in Mount Pleasant for 28 years, has seen that community grow from a small town to a bustling city. He supports the "Sewee to Santee" initiative as an essential safeguard for rural East Cooper.

Mr. Sass served three governors on the South Carolina Real Estate Appraisers Board and is currently its chairman. The board establishes and oversees standards for professional certification and conduct.

He also served on the town of Mount Pleasant's basic services committee, which examined its fire protection needs. And as president of the homeowners association for Hobcaw, he helped negotiate a settlement with the State Ports Authority to mitigate its container storage impact at the terminal adjacent to that neighborhood and others.

One potential area he cites for council improvement is limiting executive sessions. Because Council is doing the public's business, "you need to avoid executive sessions as much as possible," he says.

Herbert Sass is a solid choice for County Council.