Lexington County Council District Six has an opening after first-term Councilwoman Erin Long Bergeson chose not to run for re-election. The June 9th Republican Primary pits a standoff between Chapin’s Charli Wessinger and Johnny Jeffcoat of the unincorporated Irmo area around Lake Murray.
District Six covers a large chunk of Lake Murray, which divides the district into Chapin, Irmo and Lexington clusters.
Lexington County Council District 6 candidate Charli Wessinger
Wessinger is co-owner of Bear Creek Christmas Tree Farm and has been in higher education for 23 years, currently with Newberry College. She touts her work alongside current Councilwoman Bergeson in the community as a plus that prepares her to take on the job:
“I have assisted in rezoning initiatives in the unincorporated Chapin area. I have been successful in working with our Councilwoman Bergeson to bring about these changes.”
Top on Wessinger’s list of priorities is growth management, saying that it negatively impacts infrastructure and the environment in the fast-developing district. Her idea is for the county to allow for fewer houses per acre – particularly in this district – something she has worked on successfully as a citizen activist.
The proposals seem to be at odds with Jeffcoat, who long held the seat before deciding against seeking re-election in 2016. Jeffcoat’s close relationship with residential builders has spurred development.
Another contrasting viewpoint between the two is taxes and funding. Wessinger holds the position that the state, county and municipalities already overtax their citizens. She believes impact fees on new development are a more prudent way to fund infrastructure improvements.
Lexington County Council District 6 candidate Johnny Jeffcoat
Jeffcoat’s record is to the contrary. In his time on council, including most recently as chairman, he regularly supported property tax increases and opposed impact fees. Jeffcoat was also a leader in the penny tax referendum in 2014, which failed by more than a 2 to 1 margin.
Jeffcoat, who faced a tough re-election in 2016 before dropping out, is still employed by the Town of Lexington as the Community and Economic Catalyst. When he served previously on council, Jeffcoat caught fire from some for holding the nearly $100,000 government job while making decisions that effected the town as a council member.
Wessinger touts her community activities, including serving on the board of the Greater Chapin Community Foundation and the Newberry College Alumni Board. She has also played a prominent role in issues facing Lexington-Richland School District Five. She was a leading activist in opposing the location for the new elementary school on the Amicks Ferry Peninsula, which led to election changes on the District Five school board.
COVID-19 has made campaigning and getting a message out, but as society becomes less restrictive, Wessinger is beginning to hold town hall-style events to meet with voters.
While the official election day for primaries is June 9th from 7am-7pm, voters can provide a reason and vote absentee by mail or in-person weekdays at the Lexington County Registration and Elections Office from 8am-5pm. The office is located at 605 West Main St in Lexington.
Preston Baines is a Political and Policy Consultant from Chapin. He can be reached at @prestonbaines on Twitter and prestonbaines@gmail.com.
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