Update on Mayoral Election

Collins vs Johnson
Summerville, SC Mayoral debate

Have you ever watched a debate on TV? The most recent one was the Democratic Debate on CNN where the argument still persists over who won, Hillary or Bernie.  I'll leave my own political agenda and ideas out of this for now but I do notice one BIG theme in every debate - there is always more than one candidate.  It's very difficult to debate oneself.  Unfortunately, for the residents of Summerville, this may be the case on October 21st during our Mayoral debate because our current mayor, Bill Collins, has decided due to his hectic schedule he cannot make it.  Do any of you find this ironic?  I ask because his opponent, Wiley Johnson, did not make an appearance for the Chamber Forum a couple weeks ago but he did provide a reason, whether you agree with it or not.  Wiley opted out because he did not feel he could clearly make his point and provide reasons why Mayor Collins has not done a good job over the last 4 years because the Chamber was not going to allow any questions regarding his last 4 years in office. See my last post for an interview I had with Wiley Johnson.  SIDENOTE - I did reach out to Bill Collins via email (per his request) with a list of questions but I have not received a response yet.    Wiley wanted an opportunity to showcase his reasons and ways that Collins did not provide the transparent leadership the townspeople deserve but he was going to be denied that opportunity.  So why can't Bill Collins show up to debate Wiley Johnson?  I don't know but in a time of transition and I feel residents should demand a level of transparency  and I for one am disappointed not to see both in action during the debate.

Bill Collins -if you are reading this please be a part of the debate against Wiley Johnson?  We the people tend to assume the worst when politicians do not show up.

If you live within the city limits of Summerville you can vote on 11/3. Not sure if you reside in the limits, click HERE.

Wiley Johnson - Mayoral Candidate

Yesterday I had the opportunity to meet Wiley Johnson and sit down with him at Coastal Coffee to discuss the upcoming Mayoral Election.  Wiley exudes confidence in his chances of winning and looks forward to the November 3rd election so he can instill some positive changes into our great "little" town.  Of course our "little" town is the 7th largest city in South Carolina and if you drive down our roads you won't call us little.  Actually, there is a strong chance you'll use other words as you sit on Main Street through multiple red lights.

Disclaimer - I am not endorsing any candidate nor will I. I am here to report what I read and what I hear. 

As I got to know Mr. Johnson the word that kept coming to me was "transparency."  As a resident of Summerville for over 20 years, and his wife born and raised here, they are committed to our town and feel they have the majority of residents supporting their platform.  The boutique hotel/condo/parking garage/retail, known as the Dorchester, and Wiley's opposition to it is what prompted this non-politician to enter into the world of politics because he feels he will make a difference.  He is frustrated by what he refers to "behinds closed door" meetings where many of the town decisions are made without the residents (tax-payers) knowledge and he insists that when he is mayor those doors will remain open for all to hear and even be televised.  Wiley discussed the Redevelopment Corporation (RDC) that is responsible for many of the decisions of the town (such as the Dorchester) and that committee is made up on the Town Council and the Mayor which as he feels goes against the heir of transparency and trust from the town.  One rumor going around is that he will decrease police wages but insists there is nothing farther from the truth. He says the Summerville Police are one of the lowest paid in the area and feels this needs to be improved upon. One thing he does not understand is why the town is spending $35,000 for two Harley Davidson motorcycles for "crowd control" when that money could be better used elsewhere.  A very important issue for Wiley is keeping our "grand old trees" in town and especially in the Historic District.  He feels we need to add sidewalks and crosswalks, have better lighting, place utilities underground and overall improve our infrastructure.  We are growing so fast we can't keep up and we are 20 years behind on our infrastructure needs.  Wiley discussed the sidewalks that Mayor Collins boasts about and says those were paid for by a HUD grant (to be used on low-income areas) but the sidewalks were not built in a low-income area of town.  Mayor Collins had the downtown area declared a low-income area so he could use HUD funds to refurbish Hutchinson Square.  One big part of his platform, he is insistent on, is that the town hire a qualified and experienced town administrator and that position not be filled by the Mayor.  When asked what will be the first thing he'll do as mayor he said he will "inspect all aspects of the town operations."  Wiley wants to weed out inefficiencies and duplication of effort.  Another issue at the forefront of our town is the sheep island exchange.  The current council and mayor want for a road to be place directly through the subdivision of Weatherstone and the residents are against that.  This would be a part of the new interchange off of I-26 but Wiley said why not just expand Sheep Island Rd so children are not crossing a major road to go next door.

Wiley has the passion to run our town because he is invested in it and has been for years.  He and his wife ( a retired teacher) enjoy going to the Continental Corner for dinner or Palmetto Flats and strolling beneath the old trees in town.  He pushes for transparency in our local government and does not feel we have been informed of the entire truth regarding many issues.  Some folks in town believe we are run by a "good-old-boy" network and that needs some rearranging.  Wiley served our country for many years in the air force, was a commercial pilot, and now wants to run our town with a renewed energy and willingness to consult the town before making decisions that will cost the tax-payers.

I am appreciative of Mr. Johnson taking time out of his very busy schedule to meet with me and I hope you, the residents of Summerville, find this helpful. Please make sure you get out there and vote on November 3rd.  Last election period only 4,000 (give or take) residents voted and we are close to 50,000 in town.  Your vote makes a difference and in my opinion you cannot complain if you do not vote.  For more information on Wiley and his campaign go to https://onecmc.com/wileyformayor or his Facebook Page https://www.facebook.com/Wiley-For-Mayor.

-Jason

The Summerville Mayoral race

Who will be the next Mayor of Summerville?

     Have you been following this?  It seems we have a pretty good race between Mayor Collins and Wiley Johnson.  I am very disappointed because I registered to be at the Chamber of Commerce forum tomorrow night (Tuesday, the 13th) but I just read on Wiley's Facebook page he will not be attending because the Chamber is not allowing questions about the last 4 years of Mayor Collins reign.  I'm not sure how I feel about that.  If I were running for a political position I would take every opportunity to be seen and heard but if Mayor Collins is unwilling to address his last 4 years that should spark some concern as well.  It looks like there could be a debate on 10/21 in the council chambers off Cedar Street but at this point who knows who will show up.

     I'm very interested in hearing what Wiley and Bill have to say about our great town of Summerville. Yes, we have some issues that need addressed such as the hotel, traffic, lighting, and some infrastructure issues but we need to hear from both candidates in a neutral setting and one that allows for honesty and true debate.  I've reached out to both candidates to meet with me so I can post their vision and plans on this site.  Hopefully they're willing to meet and I'll get you the most updated information on them.  Be an informed voter!

     Wiley has been a resident of Summerville since 1975 according to the Post and Courier article linked here - (http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20150511/PC16/150519860/wiley-johnson-to-challenge-bill-collins-for-summerville-mayor).  He feels the town is going in the wrong direction and you can see his plans below for our town.

According to Collins4mayor.com here are his accomplishments:

Paid off the bonds on the existing parking garage that saved taxpayers over $500,000 in interest payments;

Purchased 53 new police cars, hired five new officers, put in an $800,000 communications system and replaced the air-conditioning system in the police headquarters

Purchased a new fire engine, built a new fire station, employed eight new firemen and began renovating yet another fire station;

Built a new office and maintenance facility for the Parks and Playgrounds Department, renovated the interior of the Cuthbert Community Center, opened two new parks — the skate park and Oakbrook Nature Trail, started a cricket team (the Summerville Sandlappers), refurbished the boardwalk at Jessen Boat Landing, resurfaced tennis courts in Azalea Park and on Laurel Street, beautified two quadrants at I-26 and Exit 199, and developed a new plan for renovation of Hutchinson Square and renovation of the old armory on Hickory Street;

Spent $5 million resurfacing roads in Pine Forest, Gahagan, Marlin Estates, Robynwyn, Newington, Corey Woods, Brownsville, old Summerville, Parish Park and Oakbrook;

Built new sidewalks on W. 1st North Street, E. Richardson Avenue, South Gum Street, Parkwood Drive, Wassamassaw Road, Woodward Boulevard and North Magnolia;

Began movies in the park at Gahagan ball fields;

Annexed Colonial Dorchester on the Ashley River;

Synchronized traffic signals on Main Street;

Expanded the Farmers’ Market;

Staged four annual Summerville Cares Days of Service that brought hundreds of volunteers out to work on projects all over town;

Worked with 500 of our citizens who came out to give us their ideas for Summerville’s next 25 years as council developed a vision plan for our future;

Established free WiFi in downtown Summerville;

Moved Municipal Court from the police station to town hall and hired new judges who are all attorneys;

Created permits to allow sidewalk dining and citizens to bring coolers to events in our parks.

From some of the letters to the editor, one might think Summerville is in chaos.

According to Mr. Johnson and his site https://onecmc.com/wileyformayor here are his plans for our town:

• Our traffic is the number one problem that needs attention. Of course, pedestrian safety with ease of circulation is an important consideration.

• The Town should hire a professional and experienced Town Administrator. Part of this can be paid for by a reduction of the Mayor’s salary from $45,000 to the 2011 level of $15,000.

• We need increased citizen participation in major decisions and spending, not decisions made by a few behind closed doors. Stop spending hundreds of thousands of taxpayers' dollars on unnecessary consultant fees.

• The Town needs a top-to-bottom assessment to weed out inefficiencies and duplication of effort.

• We need increased transparency in our government, with televised public meetings, and increased disclosures on the Town’s web site.

• The Town infrastructure should be well maintained with our current tax millage remaining at the same level or lower. We should not raise taxes for pet projects without taxpayer consent. Growth should pay for itself without raising taxes.

• The Town should develop and follow proper procedures for awarding bids. Our system now is flawed. We will get rid of the Good-Old-Boy system of awarding bids!

• Our downtown and Historic areas should be preserved and polished not modified beyond recognition. No high density development in Downtown! No high-rise buildings in Downtown.

Why is my home not selling?

Need your home sold?

If you've ever tried to sell your house either FSBO (this is a whole other blog) or with a Listing agent (like myself) you may have asked this question. I was previewing homes this morning for some of my buyers on the MLS (Multiple Listing Service) and I noticed a lot of homes near me that are just not selling.  Of course, because I'm human, I jumped to conclusions as to potential reasons for this such as bad pictures on the MLS, no video, no pics at all, bad description, no marketing, etc and I came across a conclusion.  Most of the homes I looked at that are not selling look pretty good on the MLS.  It's amazing what a professional photographer can do versus your cell phone.  It pays to get professional pics for the MLS because it takes the average person about 3-5 seconds to decide if they want to take a further look at your home and that 3-5 seconds are based on the pictures you have.  If your Realtor/agent is using their cell phone maybe you need a different agent!

Here is my conclusion.  We have a great market here and if your home is not selling you gotta ask yourself why.  Here are my top 3 reasons your home may not be sold yet:

1. Unprofessional or bad pics on the MLS,  Zillow, Trulia, Realtor.com, etc
2. Your agent listed your home on the MLS and then forgot about you.  There has been no additional marketing, your home may or may not be listed on other social media sites, and they are not acting on your behalf (and this includes weekly communication).  When I list a home I go above and beyond to make sure everyone knows about your home for sale.  A good Realtor will pay for marketing, do social media blasts, let their colleagues know about your home, make videos, get great pictures, post signs, hold open houses, etc.
3. If you have a good Realtor (a Realtor is different than a real estate agent) then maybe you are not listening to them and their advice.  We are trained to read the market, understand comps, and list your home at a competitive price but if you signed your listing agreement then the Realtor works for you and maybe you are stubborn, hard headed and think you know best.  If your home is not selling maybe it's not staged well, maybe it smells or is dirty, maybe you need to upgrade the carpet and maybe - just maybe you need to lower the price.

If you have any interest in selling your home I'd suggest you give me a call or email me at Jason.Gregg@kw.com and I'll go over my 12 step marketing plan to get your home sold!

-Jason (and yes - I'm a Realtor)
Keller Williams Realty
843.696.8627