The past four years serving on Kershaw County Council have been educational and rewarding.  I am proud of accomplishments and resolving challenges presented to council and look forward to relying on that experience as the next Kershaw County Auditor.

An example of our major accomplishments are as follows:

• Passing an economic development bond to construct spec buildings in order to entice industry to locate in Kershaw County.

• EMS transition from KershawHealth to Kershaw County government. Along with new ambulances and equipment, we have just opened a new EMS station covering Bethune-Mt Pisgah area.

• Completion of Vision 2030 document with input from overall county citizens.

• Converting recycling centers from subcontractor to county-owned equipment, a capital improvement that citizens have been requesting.

• Purchasing Wateree River property for a county-owned park using funds from the state of South Carolina.

• Participating in the award-winning All American City competition and winning as the only All-American county.

• Expansion of Central Carolina Technology College and bridging CCTC with the ATEC campus to create a transition for technology students.

The challenges we face are similar to those of other counties in South Carolina. All competing for industry and small business. We are addressing this issue with our spec building construction and investment in ourselves.  Our state experts tell us we are on the right track and must stay the course.

We also face challenges in a flat tax base but demand for additional services. We are meeting some of those demands with increased sewer lines in the Elgin/Lugoff area to support new home construction and potential new businesses.

To our county employees, I say job well done.  You have worked tirelessly during storm after storm to make sure our citizens are safe. You are the face of Kershaw County and I appreciate your hard work and sacrifice.

The administrative staff serving our county is second to none. Never have I worked with a finer group of caring professionals committed to Kershaw County citizens and employees.

And to my fellow council members, I leave with some regret in projects still in process but knowing that progress has been made in public safety, recreation, education and our vision for our county’s future. We did not all always agree but we came together as a team when we needed to. Our citizens trust us to make the best decisions based on the information we have available.

We should be proud of our accomplishments and our focus on  progress.

When taking office I pledged to support all citizens of Kershaw County, not just voters and/or taxpayers. When casting my vote I always asked myself what is the best decision for the majority of our citizens. I appreciate the trust District 5 placed in electing me to council four years ago and I look forward to continuing service to Kershaw County citizens as your auditor-elect for 2019.

Dennis Arledge, Kershaw County Auditor-elect