Another candidate in District 21

As predicted, the stepping down of Jim Burns is leading to an influx of candidates for his seat. First to officialy announce was Stacy Kuper. Now there is Rick Roberts, who filed his ethics forms last year, but now has a website up and sent out an email to supporters this week. Someone forwarded it on to us. Thought you might enjoy hearing directly from a candidate.

"Some of you might be surprised by my decision to run. My choice to run was motivated by frustration with our current leadership in our area. Our infrastructure is crumbling while our county has and continues to waste millions on ill-advised projects. The County Council controls many things that affect our everyday lives: laws and ordinances (blue laws etc.), roads and infrastructure, oversight of our police force, and most importantly the management of a 300+ million dollar annual budget. I have spent countless hours reviewing how OUR dollars are being spent and found glaring examples that hint to potential mismanagement. Example: A Welcome Center was started and later abandoned costing the tax payers millions (please take the time to read the attachment).

The more I look at the allocations of expenditures of our hard earned tax dollars, the more I realize we need leaders who have managed money in the "real" world.

In the private sector, if you waste millions of dollars with nothing to show for it, you don't get another four year extension on your contract; instead you would be escorted out with your knick-knacks in a box!

I know I have played hard at times and lived by my own rules but I know how to stretch a dollar and manage a budget. I grew my Dad’s cable burial company from less than a dozen employees the year I took over to a labor cost of over 3 million dollars. There were many tough years but we never had a year when we lost money. I now work with some of the largest employers in the state and have saved them millions of dollars by renegotiating existing contracts, bringing in more competitive suppliers, and incorporating common sense practices. I certainly understand that I am not Donald Trump, but I will bring some business sense to the management of our tax dollars.

For my campaign to be successful, I am doing something that I have never had to do; ask for help. First I need funds! I am putting in at least $20,000 of my own money, but I need much more to guarantee a successful win. I will still need to raise between $60,000 and $80,000 to pay for all of the things it takes to be elected. For example, to send one mailer out to the 40 thousand residents in our district, it will cost around $15,000. Then of course I need to send follow up mailers to registered voters etc.… continues to add up. Quite honestly, it’s a lot more than I ever imagined.

I have enjoyed meeting new people and business leaders but truly hate the fundraising side! I have never felt comfortable asking for help but I am learning quickly that I cannot do this without support. That support may be financial, volunteering time, or just passing along your endorsement. Many that are helping me are not in District 21, but the council makes decisions for the entire county.

A couple things that I will promise- I will work hard, make fair and honest decisions, manage your tax dollars with the respect they deserve and at the very least it will be worth the "price of admission" just to see what will happen!!

“Effective leadership is not about making speeches or being liked; leadership is defined by results" —Peter Drucker"

And end quote.

This is going to get interesting. We like the idea of a guy who plays by his own rules on Council. That has always worked well in the past.

#StacyKuper #RickRoberts #JimBurns #GreenvilleCountyCouncil #GreenvilleCountyDistrict21