Copyright Charleston Post and Courier
MOUNT PLEASANT — Nine candidates are running to fill four seats on town council. Three incumbents, John Iacofano, Gary Santos and Mike Tinkey, are seeking additional terms. Councilwoman G.M. Whitley, who was first elected in 2017, is not running for a third term. On Nov. 4, voters will also cast their ballots for mayor. Incumbent Will Haynie is asking residents for a third term. Newcomer Curt Thomas, a former state trooper and U.S. Air Force veteran, is running against him. Mount Pleasant council members are elected at large and serve staggered four-year terms. The top four vote-getters will fill the four open seats. Candidates for council, in alphabetical order Alex Crosby is a longtime Mount Pleasant resident who runs an insurance company with her husband. Crosby is in favor of enacting more green development standards in town to ease drainage issues, like tighter restrictions on using impervious, non-absorbent materials in new construction. Crosby also seeks to eliminate septic tanks in Mount Pleasant, opposes the construction of Laurel Hill Parkway, and believes the town should lobby for more state funding to complete the Edwards Park Basin stormwater project, which was left unfunded following federal cuts. Jenny DeSart is an anesthetist and this election marks her first run for a political office. DeSart, if elected, hopes to make town and council business more accessible for residents, like summarizing high-level reports and information to make it more digestible for the average citizen. DeSart is also against the current plans to widen S.C. Highway 41 and would like to see more engagement between county officials and town council members, staff and residents to reach a resolution. Brianna Harmon is a consultant who wants to will bring a North Mount Pleasant voice to council. Part of her platform includes expanding the town’s Recreation Department by offering more classes and sports for children, teenagers and adults, as well as building a second senior center in the northern part of town. Persistent flooding in portions of Mount Pleasant is also a concern for Harmon, who believes the town should be proactive in addressing the issue by conducting more robust impact studies before building. John Iacofano (incumbent) was first elected to town council in 2021. Iacofano has been increasingly vocal in recent months regarding pay raises for town fire and police employees and improving retention rates in the town’s public safety departments. Iacofano is against the Road to Compromise for Highway 41, and is in favor of changing the council configuration from eight at-large members to district representatives. Perry Rourk previously served on the town’s Recreation Advisory Commission. The Mount Pleasant native is campaigning to improve core services, like police and fire, public works, transportation and recreation. To do so, Rourk’s platform includes regularly adjusting town wages to stay competitive with nearby municipalities. Rourk is also against the county’s Highway 41 expansion as it is currently designed. He has suggested alternative improvements to ease traffic in place of the Laurel Hill Parkway, including adding more turn lanes on Bessemer Road. Craig Russack is a former detective from New York. One of Russack’s priorities is ensuring competitive compensation for first responders. He agrees with council’s recent decision to raise fire and police pay, but believes salary discussions should take place more frequently and as part of regular budget reviews each year. Russack also supports protecting and preserving more green space in Mount Pleasant and is against the Road to Compromise plan for Highway 41. Gary Santos (incumbent) is the town’s most senior council member. He was first elected to the town council in 1996. Santos is a proponent of the town’s recreation and sports programs. He said he’d support a tax referendum to fund a permanent arts center in Mount Pleasant, as well as explore affordable housing opportunities for town police and fire employees. He recently voted to oppose the compromise plan for the Highway 41 expansion. Mike Tinkey (incumbent) is Mount Pleasant’s newest council member and is defending his seat eight months after being elected in a special election. Tinkey believes in restoring and preserving the town’s tree canopy. During his time on council and on the town’s planning commission before that, Tinkey has been an advocate for implementing low-impact development practices and strengthening tree protections. He does not support the compromise plan for Highway 41 due to the inclusion of the Laurel Hill Parkway. Kathryn Whitaker is a sitting member on the town’s Culture, Arts and Pride Commission. Whitaker has worked closely on the Mount Pleasant community arts center, slated to open later this year. She agrees with the 4-3-4 lane configuration of Highway 41, and thinks there are other ways to make the expansion effective without creating a road through Laurel Hill County Park, like installing more roundabouts. Whitaker also is in favor of exploring attainable housing solutions, including housing stipends for first responders or density incentives for developers.
