December 2022  

Fellow Citizens of South Congaree:  

​

The past two months have flown by, and the Town of South Congaree has enjoyed numerous activities. The Community Thanksgiving Service was especially memorable thanks to our local pastors, churches, and citizens who all came together for a night of worship, praise, and fellowship.  Thank you, Pastor Charles Hutchinson of Platt Springs Baptist; Pastor Kevin Huston of Kinetic Church; Pastor Gene Henderson of Ebenezer PH Church; Pastor Jeffrey Bradley of Lighthouse Baptist; Pastor Gerald Watford of Dunn's Chapel for your attendance. A thank you also to Pastor Jerry Freeman of Congaree Baptist who was unable to attend because of illness. 

​

The annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony grew by leaps and bounds this year with 300 plus grandparents, parents and children from our community attending.  Sponsors for the Christmas tree lighting event were Columbia Auto Parts, Columbia Auto Recovery & Towing, Krantz Kooling & Heating, SC Pro Wash, Debbie McIver-NextHome Realtor, ServPro, Discount Fireworks Store, Tyler's Sanitation, Wayne Shumpert, Dirt Cheap Hauling & Services, and W Construction.   Thank you again to these local businesses and to our residents for your continued support!  A special thank you to the Congaree Elementary School choir under the direction of Carolyn Lowman and Nikki Wojcik for providing Christmas carols, to Goins Dancing for their dance performance, to Pastor Jeffrey Bradley, Pastor Kevin Huston, and Pastor Gene Henderson for your support and participation. 

​

Thank you, Lexington Coroner Margaret Fisher, Springdale Mayor Juston Ricard, and Cayce Councilman Tim James for judging this year's Christmas Parade.  Thank you to the volunteers who organized and worked together to ensure our parade was a success.   

​

Congratulations to all the 2022 parade winners!  

​

Float:  1st Eagles for a Cause; 2nd Dirt Cheap Hauling & Services; 3rd Congaree Fabrication LLC 

​

Vehicle:  1st Lexington School District Two Transportation; 2nd Dunn's Chapel; 3rd Crumpton Farms 

​

Walking:  1st Airport High School Band; 2nd Gray Collegiate Academy Dance Team; 3rd Goins Dancing 

​

At the December Council meeting, Resolutions were presented in recognition of the Lexington District Two 2023 Teachers of the Year. Resolutions were presented to Christy Wingard, Airport High School; Bryant Stewart, RH Fulmer Middle School; Anna Estes, Wood Elementary School, and Carolyn Munn Lowman, Congaree Elementary School.  Congratulations! 

​

Thank you, South Congaree Police Department, for escorting Santa through the town to greet everyone and handing out candy canes.  We are fortunate to have such an experienced and supportive police department.     

 

To avoid State aid from being withheld, cities and towns must submit their audits within 13-months of completion of the fiscal year.  As of November 2022, the Town's 2019-2020 audit has been completed and submitted to the SC State Treasurer's Office. The audit for fiscal year 2020-2021 is now underway.        

​

December is a time of celebration, a time to show generosity by giving as well as receive blessings from others.  Discussion has been on going with Mr. David Harner, CCIM, about the 12.7 acres that were not used in the development of the property housing O'Reilly’s and Dollar Tree. This discussion resulted in Council accepting the gift of 12.7 acres on Pine Street from Paramount Development Corporation who serves as the agent for Congaree Development Partners LLC.  With 11.7 acres being wetland, the plans are for a future use of this property gift as the site of a park, nature trail, and green space.  THANK YOU, Mr. Harner and Paramount Development Corporation, for your generous gift to our town. Our hope is that the property can be used for the enjoyment of the residents and visitors of the Town of South Congaree.   

​

A special thank you to Mid Carolina Electric Cooperative for assisting every year with putting up the snowflakes that line our streets.  These snowflakes provide brightness to the community, smiles to faces and enjoyment to all that travel through our Town.  Thank you MCEC for the four new lights installed on Sunset Drive and for the prompt response to this request.  The safety of the people in our community is a top priority and your support is appreciated.  The lights will also shine bright on the new sidewalk to be constructed on Sunset Drive in early 2023.   

 

Please welcome Ms. Kelly Clark, our new Municipal Clerk.  Ms. Clark comes to us with prior municipal experience and will be an asset to our Town!   

​

A special thank you also to Ms. Lena Meggat for volunteering to make the streets of our town cleaner by picking up litter.  You will see Ms. Lena working diligently each week (as weather permits) to help keep the town clean. Thank you, Ms. Lena! Your service is greatly appreciated. 

 

During an Association of SC Mayors meeting in November, Mr. Todd Glover, Executive Director of the Municipal Association of SC, led a Roundtable discussion on the topic of Civility.  Mr. Glover made a statement that spoke truth to me, and I quote, "You're not going to have economic development in your community if you don't have civility on your council."   

​

As Mayor, I pledge to build a stronger and more prosperous community by advocating for civil engagement, respecting others and their viewpoints, and finding solutions for the betterment of my town.    

 

Please become an active citizen by attending our monthly Council meetings. You have an open invitation to attend all the Council meetings in person. In the event you can’t attend in person, please know that the meetings will continue to be livestreamed via the Town’s Facebook.  

 

Thank you for your continuing encouragement and support as we work together to make South Congaree the best small town in South Carolina!   Happy New Year! 

​

Cindy Campbell, Mayor