Swails drops proposal for 'strong mayor' government

MOUNT PLEASANT -- Mayor Billy Swails said Tuesday night that he is dropping his effort to create a "strong mayor" form of government.

"My three council members slapped my hand a little bit," Swails said at a council meeting.

He was referring to the Feb. 7 meeting of the four-member Police, Judicial & Legal Committee where council members Thomasena Stokes-Marshall, Elton Carrier and Chris Nickels said they could not support Swails' idea. He is committee chairman.

The town has a "weak mayor/ strong council" government like Isle of Palms and Sullivan's Island. Swails was advocating for a "strong mayor/weak council," a system that he said works well in Charleston and North Charleston.

Swails made his latest comments Tuesday night during a report to council about the meeting of the committee where he raised the issue.

"Things are going well. Right now I think we are going to cool our heels. We'll bow to your wishes," he said.

In other action, council voted to keep the Memorial Waterfront Park pier open until 11 p.m. year-round. In winter it closes at 5 p.m. and in summer at 10 p.m. The change will take effect in about 45 days. The pier is policed until midnight.

Council also gave first-reading approval to an amended noise ordinance. As things stand now, the town is violating its own noise ordinance during late-night road work on the widening of Johnnie Dodds Boulevard and U.S. 17.

The amendment, which requires second-reading approval at next month's council meeting, would allow for road and other public works projects from 9 p.m. to 7 a.m.

"We need to finish our road construction," Swails said. "Give us a year and we're done with it."

Complaints have come from some homeowners closest to the work.

"We know it's been a problem. We apologize," Swails said.