BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.—For nearly the last ten years, Bill Peagler has served as the mayor of Moncks Corner. Lately, he has his eyes set on a new title. The longtime mayor recently sat down with our media friends at The Bryan Crabtree Show on WQSC 1340 and 950 AM where he discussed his plans to run for county supervisor. The seat is currently held by Dan Davis who has served on Berkeley Co. Council since 2007. Peagler believes it’s now time for someone else to fill that position.
“The current supervisor has not created an environment that’s conducive to getting things done in Berkeley County,” Peagler stated on the air. “We have to remember that our taxpayers are, in fact, our customers. They pay our salaries, and we need to work toward customer satisfaction.”
On Daniel Island Secession
For the county’s customers living on the very northern end of the county, the Moncks Corner mayor believes Davis has neglected them.
“How can he ignore Daniel Island? That’s one of those situations that’s come to bite us with them filing a petition for secession,” stated Peagler.
Last year, Daniel Island homeowners filed a petition to break away from Berkeley County and join Charleston County. Homeowners spearheading the secession say the final straw came when the school district planned to build a new middle school in the Cainhoy area when they were reportedly told the school would be built on Daniel Island if they voted “yes” on the “Yes 4 Schools” referendum. Many Daniel Island homeowners said they felt duped.
Daniel Island, according to Peagler, accounts for more than twenty percent of the county’s tax base. For many who call that area home, they believe they’re simply not getting their money’s worth as a taxpayer.
Currently, residents there have to drive about 40 minutes to pay their taxes in Moncks Corner.
Peagler, who’s worked in public service for approximately 20 years, says he vows to change that.
“Surely, we should add more services for them and for their convenience,” he said.
Peagler says he’s open to the idea of adding substations in that area, so that homeowners could pay bills and take care of any of other county business.
“I’m a team captain. That’s what I’ve done with the town. That’s what I would do as town supervisor—bring people together because we can get more bang for our buck working together than we can fighting,” he said.
On The County’s Growth
Berkeley County is the largest county is the state of South Carolina and also the fastest growing.
“Moncks Corner has grown by 25 percent during my tenure,” said Peagler. “Moncks Corner also has a yearly restaurant business of over $30 million.”
Peagler wants to see the county continue to grow economically. More business to the county equals more jobs for the residents and revenue for the area.
“At the present time, we have good infrastructure coming in. We have a close relationship with the SCDOT. We’re keeping up when the road are being paved, so that we can make sure things are progressing,” added Peagler. “I’m a firm believer in the sales tax. We are building a 50 acre recreational facility on the basis of a two percent hospitality tax.”
On American LaFrance Closing
After being in business for more than 150 years, major manufacturer, American LaFrance, abruptly closed its doors without any notice to its employees. Former workers have since filed class action lawsuits against the company and now it’s come to light that the manufacturer owes about $650,000 to the county.
“How did it get to that?” questioned Peagler.
The mayor says it will be taxpayers who will ultimately have to foot the bill that American LaFrance has refused to pay.
“It’s not coming out of Mr. Davis’ pocket. It’s coming out of the taxpayers’ pocket,” said Peagler. “If anybody owes me that kind of money, I’m going to be trying to find out about it. From the information I’ve gathered, it appears there were a lot of signals out there that could have shown that we needed to sit down and talk to these people, and find out where they’re going before they got into our pockets more.”
On Fighting Crime
From homicides to meth busts, crime in Berkeley County appears to be on the rise, but it’s something Peagler plans to curb if elected county supervisor.
The mayor believes a part of the reason the county has seen an increase in crime is because the current county supervisor slashed the budget for the sheriff’s office.
“He cut the sheriff’s budget, in fact, to the point the town of Moncks Corner is giving our old police cars to the sheriff’s department because they’re better than what they are driving,” said Peagler.
The safety, he says, of the citizens of Berkeley County is a top priority for him.
“I’m very good friends with Wayne DeWitt. We’ve discussed some of the issues,” he added. “Some of the things I’d like to see them do is have substations in areas that have been hit by crime. I, myself, am a victim of crime. I didn’t particularly care for them asking me if I’d like to make a report over the phone. If you’re paying your tax dollars, you really want somebody to come out there and investigate.”
Peagler is a life-long resident of Berkeley County, and is running on the Republican ticket with the primary taking place in June. The actual election will take place in November.
The Bryan Crabtree Show airs from 8-10 a.m. on WQSC 1340 and 950 AM. You can visit the show’s website by clicking here. You can also catch Rocky D on the same airwaves from 3-6 p.m.
