Baldwin, Broach square off in council District 1 race

DARLINGTON — Only one member of Darlington County Council who is seeking re-election in Tuesday’s general election faces opposition.

Darlington County Council Chairman Billy Baldwin, a Republican business owner from Darlington, is completing his first term on council and is seeking a second term in the District 1 council seat because he said he wants to see through some unfinished business.

His Democratic challenger, Brenda Broach, also of Darlington, is making her first run for elective office. Broach worked for the county for 16 years as human resources manager before she retired, officially in 2005, but she came back and worked nearly another year after her successor resigned until a new HR manager was hired.

“We haven’t finished some of the things we’ve got going,” Baldwin said. “We just started the partnership (Darlington County Economic Development Partnership), we just finished getting the land for the industrial park at I-20 and (S.C. Highway) 340. We had some difficulties with the jetport, and we got those resolved.”

“I’m interested in continuing to do things for the county and the people of Darlington County,” Broach said. “I’ve got plenty of time to devote to being a council member. I love this county. I have a deep affection for the county and the people of the county.”

District 1 includes all of Darlington Precinct 1 and portions of Darlington Precincts 3, 6 and 4 as well as portions of the Palmetto and Mechanicsville precincts.

“I’m certainly qualified. I’ve got a record to stand on,” Baldwin said. “Council has seen fit to elect me as chairman for two years, and I feel like council has moved Dar-lington County forward. We’re doing things to move the county forward.”

“I’m a businessman who runs his own business. I know how business works, and I think I know how county business should work,” Baldwin said.

Baldwin said council’s decision to revamp the county’s economic development effort by creating the Darlington County Economic Development Partnership — a public private partnership — positions the county well to pursue future economic development.

Baldwin said developing infrastructure to support economic development is one of his priorities. “I think we need to pursue water and sewer throughout the county. That’s a key to development,” he said.

“I’ve been involved in employment law and directly involved in county government,” Broach said. “I’ve worked closely with the county manager, I met with county council, I worked with the finance committee, I was the coordinator of the safety committee. My whole time in county government I was dealing with people.”

She said her experience will serve her in council’s decision making, particularly when it comes to preparing an annual budget.

A major issue council will deal with next year will be what to do about the Darlington County Courthouse. Earlier this year, a consulting group studying space issues at the courthouse recommended building a new courthouse, which a study said could cost about $32 million.

Earlier this month, Fourth Circuit Family Court Judge Jamie Lee Murdock Jr. of Hartsville brought concerns to council about the safety of court personnel and the public in the Family Court facility in the courthouse.

“I think every member is concerned about the courthouse,” Baldwin said. “In this economy, I think it would be hard to plunge the county into a $30 million bond issue to build a new courthouse. Our consideration will depend on how the economy comes back. The first thing we’ve got to do, whatever we decide to do, is locate the finances.”

“I can see the safety issue at the courthouse,” Broach said. “Security is an issue. We really need some improvement in that.”

She said the courthouse must remain in the city because moving it out of town would violate state law. She said she would advocate looking at existing county buildings to see if any of them could be used to help alleviate the situation.

“I would first talk with the county manager to see what’s been done, what’s available, and then we have to prioritize,” she said.

Land use planning is another issue council will likely face next year, Baldwin said. He said he has advocated some form of land use planning to protect property owners. “I don’t think people always understand land use planning,” he said.

“The purpose of land use planning is to protect property owners. As we get more development, the more we need to protect landowners. I think that’s something we need to pursue.”

Broach said she is not sure what direction the county should take with land use planning. “I think we need to listen to the people,” she said. “We need to look at other areas, other counties, and see what they’ve done and how they’ve done it. We need to do the research.”

Asked about concerns over crime in the county, both candidates said council must provide the resources to law enforcement to do its job.

“I don’t think council has denied law enforcement anything it has needed when the sheriff’s office has asked for it,” Baldwin said.

“There’ll be a new sheriff taking office in January,” Broach said. “I’m sure there will probably be some restructuring in the sheriff’s department. I think council needs to take a close look at how things are done. I’m sure there could be some improvement there.”

In council District 3, Democrat Wilhelmina Johnson will return to council in January. In District 5, Republican Le Flowers will serve another four years, and in District 7, Republican Alex “Buz” Shaw, who won a narrow GOP primary victory in June, will serve four more years on council.