South Congaree, SC (Paul Kirby) – Political newcomer Dwayne Prosser, 51, won the special election to fill the open seat on the South Congaree Town Council Tuesday. He won with 46 votes of the 77 total votes cast. He defeated the only other person who had filed, Robert Cade. Cade, who was also new to running for public office, received 30 votes and there was 1 write-in vote. . The council seat was left open by the resignation of former councilmember Roger Spires.
Prosser said that he had run for town council because he felt like the town needed to increase enforcement of existing ordinances. He also believes that if necessary, they should draft new ordinances regarding the look and upkeep of properties in the town. He said that he felt as if there were too many properties in South Congaree that just weren’t being kept up, and that needed to change. He said he also felt that there was a lack of communication between the town and its citizens and he hoped he could help improve that.
Now, Prosser will have to see if he will be able to make a difference in the town’s looks, operations, and future. South Congaree is a strong council form of government. That form gives equal power to each councilmember and the mayor. That means that Prosser will need to have the support of at least two of the other current councilmembers to pass any new ordinances regarding anything. Although the council sets the direction of the town, they have department heads or trusted employees that run the day to day operations of the administrative office, the court system, and the Police Departments.
