Patterson wins county council seat
Brown Patterson’s long wait to fill the District 4 seat on the Laurens County Council is finally over.
Brown Patterson
Running unopposed, Patterson was officially elected to the seat during a special election Tuesday.
“I’ve already been working at it,” Patterson said. “I’ve been attending meetings and sitting in on committee meetings and meeting with the county administrator. I’ve been staying up to speed and getting ready to start on day one.”
Patterson is to be sworn in to office at 8 a.m. Monday and then take his seat on council for the first time at its next regular meeting on Sept. 24.
Tuesday’s special election was the end of a drawn out process, which began following the resignation of former councilman Stewart Jones in April. Jones was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives in a special election to fill the District 14 seat vacated by the retired Mike Pitts.
After a couple of months of campaigning in a Republican Primary against Jennifer Garrett, Patterson was elected as the GOP nominee for District 4 with 72% of the vote.
With no Democratic challenge, Patterson moved on to Tuesday’s special election unopposed. Light turnout was expected, and Patterson said he was keeping an eye on the polls before voting around lunchtime.
In the meantime, county council has earnestly started working on its plans for a 1% capital sales tax to fund several yet-to-be-determined projects. The capital projects plan is to be readied for a referendum for county voters in the November 2020 General Election.
“It seems like that’s No. 1 on the list,” Patterson said of his early priorities. He said he has made a nomination for the six-person committee that will decide which projects will be undertaken if the referendum is approved by voters.
The capital tax is among several issues facing the county, including land usage, growth and economic development.
“I welcome it,” Patterson said of the challenge ahead as an elected official. “It’s a lofty path, but it’s a challenge that I’m more than willing to accept.
“I appreciate all the support that I’ve been given throughout the entirety of the campaign, and I look forward to serving the people of District 4 and the county.”
