‘Game on’: Summerville councilman to run in opposing district over development

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Concerns about overdevelopment led one Summerville Town Council member to file for election in an opposing district.

District Four Councilmember Bill McIntosh filed for election in District Two Tuesday morning. In order to do this, McIntosh said he plans to move to District Two.

McIntosh said current leadership is heading in the wrong direction by supporting overdevelopment, like the proposal for 500 N. Main Street.

“Unfortunately, the current representative for District Two has led the charge for allowing, even encouraging, rampant overdevelopment,” McIntosh said.

He said the historic district in Downtown Summerville is at a crossroads and needs protection before it is too late.

“This district needs a champion, our historic downtown needs a champion,” McIntosh said. “If we don’t preserve and protect what we have, we will kill the goose that laid the golden egg.”

On the other hand, the current District Two Councilmember, Terry Jenkins, said he believes the current council is on a good path.

“You’re going to grow, or you’re going to die. The question is not whether you grow, you have to. The question is how you grow,” Jenkins said.

Jenkins said he only supports responsible development that pays for itself, and that the council is now more discerning about which developments they accept into the town.

“We’ve all made mistakes, including Bill, as to things that we accepted in certain times in the past that may have been better rethought,” Jenkins said.

Election day in the Town of Summerville is on Nov. 7. The mayor, the commissioner of public works, and council members for Districts Two, Four, and Six are all up for election. Tiffany Johnson-Wilson is also in the running alongside Jenkins and McIntosh for the District Two seat.

McIntosh said he is excited for the opportunity to run in District Two and feels optimistic about his chances.

“It’s time to reverse course before it’s too late for Summerville, and I’m excited to lead the charge,” McIntosh said.

Jenkins said as a resident of the historic district in Summerville his entire life, he also feels good about his chances.

“There are now three of us in the race, " Jenkins said. “So, game on.”

Johnson-Wilson provided a statement on the election:

I am running because I believe Summerville deserves a new generation of leadership. Everyone I speak to agrees that reasonable term limits are necessary for a healthy local government, and term limits will be part of my positive message for the future of Summerville. Councilman McIntosh and Councilman Jenkins have both served Summerville for a combined 27 years. While I appreciate their service to our town, I believe most voters are ready to move on from the drama of the past. I’m a Summerville native, a successful businesswoman, and have a child who will grow up here and be impacted by the decisions the Town makes. This is about the people, not politics for me. In the coming weeks I’ll be taking my positive message for the future of our town directly to the voters!

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