2 council seats up for grabs
By Bo Petersen
Town Council District 3
-- WALTER BAILEY
AGE: 63
EDUCATION: University of South Carolina, law degree
OCCUPATION: Attorney
PRIOR PUBLIC OFFICE: 1st Circuit Solicitor, 1993-2004
ISSUES: Fiscal responsibility, providing more funds for public safety. Aggressive annexations outside town limits to provide revenue and manage growth.
QUOTE: "The reality is, if you don't annex these developments, you still get the problems: traffic, crowding of schools, parks and playgrounds. We need to annex to make the best of the situation."
HOW TO CONTACT: www.walterbailey2009.com, baileywalterm@yahoo.com, 509-7744.
-- HOWARD BRIDGMAN
AGE: 63
EDUCATION: University of Massachusetts, bachelor's degree in wood science and technology
OCCUPATION: Former Navy pilot and retired paper industry salesman
PRIOR PUBLIC OFFICE: Town Councilman, 2005-present
ISSUES: Manage growth, make sure new development pays for the facilities to support it.
QUOTE: "When you do things (such as annexing Central Avenue properties) in the face of the people who live there, disregarding the recommendation of the school district's superintendent, that's aggressive annexation. Whenever you annex anything (developers) want a deal. We have gotten ourselves in trouble in the past."
HOW TO CONTACT: 297-2366, 873-0255, www.howardbridgman.com.
Town Council District 5
-- VIRGIL "BOB" FLOWERS
AGE: 72
EDUCATION: Baptist College at Charleston, bachelor's degree in business administration
OCCUPATION: Retired from Air Force, retired Dorchester School District 2 transportation director
PRIOR PUBLIC OFFICE: Town Council, 2003-present
ISSUES: Pace development to assure at least 2 percent growth per year needed to maintain services without raising taxes.
QUOTE: "We were the first town in the state to implement impact fees. What we need is high-end, quality development supplemented by commercial development if we're going to continue to offer the services we have at a low cost to the taxpayer."
HOW TO CONTACT: bobflowersforsummerville@gmail.com.
-- KIMA GARTEN-SCHMIDT
AGE: 48
EDUCATION: California State-San Bernadino, associate degree
OCCUPATION: Substitute teacher, Rollings Middle School of the Arts; PTSA president
ISSUES: Manage growth fairly to keep from taxing current residents to pay for services for new residents.
QUOTE: "Our town is not going to change until we get people in place who will think a little harder before making decisions."
HOW TO CONTACT: 821-9337, schmidtek@sc.rr.com.
SUMMERVILLE — Tuesday is election day for residents who live in Town Council Districts 3 and 5.
Incumbent Howard Bridgman faces challenger Walter Bailey in District 3. In the District 5 race, incumbent Virgil "Bob" Flowers takes on challenger Kima Garten-Schmidt. Each seat is for a four-year term on Town Council.
The polls are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
No one opposed Aaron Brown for his District 1 council seat or Steve Mueller for his Commissioners of Public Works at-large seat.
In a cost-cutting move, the town will open voting only in the two districts where the races are contested. State law allows municipalities to keep polling place doors locked if a candidate is unopposed.
Leaving those polls closed will save the town $3,750 in hiring poll workers, said assistant administrator Lisa Wallace.
Here's a general description of the two districts and the polling places:
--District 3: A strip of the town from Miler Country Club to Gahagan, including part of the town's historic district. Residents in this district can vote in the Cuthbert Community Center, also known as the Azalea Hut, at 105 W. Fifth South St. in Azalea Park.
--District 5. The southwest area of town along U.S. Highway 17A. District residents can vote in Fire Station No. 2 at 110 Luden Drive.
Town voting districts differ from county districts and often split neighborhoods. For example, part of Newington is in District 5, part in District 3. For more information contact Town Hall, 871-600, or Dorchester County voter registration, 832-0132.
Reach Bo Petersen at 937-5744 or bpetersen@postandcourier.com.
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