Smooth sailing for Billy Swails

MOUNT PLEASANT -- As Town Councilman Billy Swails handily won a three-way race to become this town's new mayor, he was embraced by former Mayor Harry Hallman, who talked Swails into running for the job earlier this year.

Swails, a 62-year-old insurance agent, received about 45 percent of the vote, enough to clinch Tuesday's winner-take-all contest.

His opponents, fellow Town Councilmen Joe Bustos and Gary Santos, received 33 percent and 22 percent, respectively, according to unofficial results.

Swails' boisterous victory party at the Kickin' Chicken restaurant was as crowded as Swails' victory speech was brief.

"We're going to keep Mount Pleasant rolling," Swails said, calling Bustos and Santos "excellent council members" who did a great job.

Hallman, however, got a laugh when he said the mayor's job "is more than athletics. It's more than ... bicycles," a reference to Santos' extensive recreation involvement and Bustos' campaigning with his wife on a bicycle built for two.

The race shaped up as a personality contest as much as anything, with all three vowing to widen U.S. Highway 17, maintain the town's services, and lure new business to a town that has grown into South Carolina's fourth largest city.

There were many early signs that Swails was the most popular. He dominated the fundraising race and won endorsements from the four other sitting council members, as well as Hallman and Acting Mayor Kruger Smith.

Smith said Tuesday he backed Swails because "he can listen to what others say and intelligently help to build a consensus as to what's best for our community as a whole."

Swails, who will be sworn in Nov. 10 as the town's 35th mayor, said his first goal will be to get the four new council members up to speed, and his biggest challenge will be to keep the town's police, fire, recreation and other services intact.

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"The financial health of Mount Pleasant is in jeopardy. Not this year, but next year our revenues will be way down," he said. "We can't continue to be all things to all people. We'll have to make some hard decisions, and we will do that."

Smith agreed. "I think the biggest challenge that the new mayor will have to face is providing the kinds of services we provide -- and even more because they are demanding more all the time -- in the tough economic times we're in without having to raise taxes."

Earlier Tuesday, Bustos said he felt good about the election. "At this point, the voters have done what the voters are going to do."

Neither he nor Santos could be reached after results were in.

Hallman, who stepped down this year as he battled Alzheimer's disease, joked that he and other good ol' boys got together earlier this year to talk about what qualities the town should seek in its new mayor, and one of them was "a touch of gray."

"As I was going around the room, Billy looked down and said, 'Why are you looking at me, Harry?' " Hallman said.

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Swails joked that he wanted to thank all but two people: Hallman and Town Councilman Paul Gawrych, who also helped persuade Swails to run.

Swails, who will earn $24,000 a year in the part-time position, said he was a little disappointed he didn't crack 6,000 votes and that the turnout was only about 27 percent

That's still up from the 2004 mayoral race, when 19 percent voted, as well as the 2006 council race, when only 11 percent turned out. The town moved its election date to November in hopes more would vote.

"That's a shame that 70 percent of the people don't even bother to come out," Smith said. "I have to admire the Iraqis who had 80 percent come out to vote."

Reach Robert Behre at 937-5771 or rbehre@postandcourier.com.