Woolsey to put focus on fiscal responsibility

EDITOR'S NOTE: The Post and Courier has profiled each of the five James Island mayoral candidates this week. Profiles of the 10 Town Council candidates appeared Thursday in some editions of Your Lowcountry.

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Bill Woolsey reminds voters that other than current Mayor Mary Clark, he's the only candidate for mayor with experience in James Island town government.

Woolsey, an economics professor at The Citadel for 24 years, was a member of Town Council from 2002-04.

Holding a Ph.D. in economics, Woolsey promises that if elected mayor, he will govern on "sound principles," exercising fiscal responsibility and aiming to keep government small. Town priorities are out of whack, and the town is balancing its budget by dipping into savings and failing to properly account for its grant funds in the budget, he argues.

Woolsey said the town collects approximately $1.1 million in revenue each year, and proposes to spend $1.7 million in fiscal year 2011. The resulting $600,000 deficit is being made up for by shifting funds from a

$1.8 million surplus detailed in the town's 2009 audit, Woolsey said.

The town currently projects a $444,000 surplus for 2010, bringing the total in town savings to approximately $2.2 million.

But Woolsey said the surpluses will be gone in three years at the current rate of spending.

"Fiscal responsibility requires that the town control its expenditures and balance its budget. Overhead needs to be reduced to no more than 50 percent, with a focus on meeting town responsibilities to maintain and repair roads and drainage," he said.

"Currently, salaries and other overhead require 90 percent of town revenue," Woolsey said. He said the surplus would be better used to catch up on dirt-road and ditch maintenance, while holding down other town spending to keep the budget balanced.

"Using some of those funds to tackle deferred maintenance on roads and drainage and, if necessary, to defend the town's existence before the S.C. Supreme Court, is appropriate, however, the town cannot continue to run deficits," he said.

Woolsey also said the town needs to improve its website and promptly post all information about budgeting and town business on it. He also vows to "listen to all citizens" and work for safer neighborhoods.

Woolsey said he wants to review an environmental impact statement regarding the proposed Interstate 526 expansion to James Island before taking a position. In response to reports that the town has committed itself to spending $110,000 this year and next for a "Sesquicentennial" (150 years) anniversary of Civil War events, Woolsey said "some celebration" is warranted, but enormous spending is not.

He said he hopes Mayor Mary Clark, a strong proponent of the commemoration whom Woolsey hopes will soon have more free time, will "head up the celebration committee."

See: www.billwoolseyformayor.com.