David Stanton
222 Holly Drive
Hartsville, SC 29550
857-0571
stantonforcouncil@darlingtongop.com

Hello, my name is David Stanton. I am a lifelong Hartsville resident, I am 33 years old, and I am running for County Council District 7. I will have more in this space later, but I want to go ahead and tell you where I stand and why I am running.  There were several reasons for my decision to run. I believe the citizens of District 7 deserve better leadership than they are now getting.  Taxes, emergency services, technology and economic development will my priorities in office.

I believe taxes are too high, and I’ll do everything I can to lower them. We have areas that are in need of additional funding, and we must find ways to address these needs without adding to the tax burden. We are spending too much for too little in some areas, and I want to change that. I will study county spending thoroughly to weed out waste, and will bring a different set of priorities to spending decisions.

Democrats have run the county since Reconstruction, and it is time for a change. I want to be the first Republican to represent my area since the 1870s. Democrats have their priorities, but I believe there are only a few things we should be spending taxpayer dollars on. I believe the people of District 7 are ready for a change of leadership and a different governing philosophy.

The main spending priorities should be infrastructure and emergency services, and everything else should be looked at very carefully. I don’t think our roads are adequate for our current needs, much less our future, and I have some real questions about our Sheriff’s and Fire departments. People want to know why crime hasn’t come down more, and whether our firemen are getting the support they need to do their job. We had a terrible fire in downtown Hartsville recently, and our firemen from all over the region worked tirelessly to contain it. But the day after that, we had 40 mph winds. What if they had happened at the same time? Would our firemen have had what they needed to contain the fire, or would it have burned the whole block? These are serious questions that I plan to address.

Economic development is the key to the future of the county. Economic development is not getting the leadership it deserves from County Council. Many people have worked for years to improve things, and thanks to their efforts, things have improved. But our county is changing, and we must bring in new, high-paying jobs. That will improve the quality of life here for our citizens, and it’s the only way we can afford to improve county services through growth instead of higher taxes.

I see technology as vital to future economic prosperity in the county. You only have to look on the Internet to learn that we are not doing what we should be doing. Darlington County does not even have a web site, although the Economic Development Board’s site has improved. I grew up with technology, and I have been using the Internet since 1993. I understand what’s happening and I can make sure we are a part of that. Companies now look at the information infrastructure in a county when they are looking for a home, and I am committed to modernizing the county’s approach to technology.

We need high-capacity broadband service in this county, and I will work with providers and local businesses to bring that service to our companies and our people as soon as possible. High-tech businesses that create high-paying jobs absolutely depend on it, and increasingly it is a factor when they look at the quality of life their employees will have here.

Technology can also make government more transparent and responsive to citizens. I will see to it that all aspects of budgeting and other Council actions are posted publicly on the Internet, and all spending will be there for the public to see in a way they can easily understand it. Also, we need to make our government employees accessible and accountable to the citizens through e-mail. I see a day coming very soon when it will be possible to televise Council proceedings cheaply over the Internet. I will make it a priority to do so.