Back in 2015, I had the honor of being endorsed by one of the pillars of our community: Mr. Ralph Hendricks. I was proud of that endorsement then, and I’m proud of it now.

After all, Mr. Hendricks has a long history of service in Simpsonville. He served for 13 years on the Simpsonville City Council and then for 12 years as the mayor of Simpsonville. That’s experience I value and admire. Hendricks and his wife, Marion, have provided support for many local organizations, including (but not limited to) Greenville Technical College, Marietta Baptist Camp, Meals on Wheels, Greenville Rescue Mission, YMCA, Salvation Army, and the Greenville Literacy Association. The Simpsonville Library was named in his honor. He has been very active in the First Baptist Church, where he has served as deacon and treasurer. He has been honored as Builder of the Year and Citizen of the Year, amongst other awards. This is a man who knows and loves this city, and who knows what it takes for it to be successful.

One of Mr. Hendrick’s frustrations in 2015 was that our city was “being held hostage by political wrangling.” I agreed. Nothing was getting done, we were treading water at best; at worst, we were drowning—all because city leaders were focused on all the wrong things, forgetting to look out for the City’s best interests. Mr. Hendricks said he was looking for the right people with the right plan to get the city moving in the right direction. I shared with him my vision for the future of Simpsonville, and he said he would support me by endorsing me.

In November of 2015, voters elected 4 people to Council who they believed would move this city forward. I was and am honored to be one of those people. And I believe that over the past 2 years, we’ve seen the city get moving in the right direction again. No, things aren’t perfect. There is so much work left to do.

And we need the right people to get that work done. So I’m going to tell you who to vote for:

Vote for the candidates who demonstrate a willingness to work with those of us currently on Council. We have two years left. We do not have time to waste on more political wrangling. We cannot afford it. There were years of that before I got elected, and the effects have been real and long-lasting (see: leaf pickup as one example). We need a Council who works together for the best interests of Simpsonville. We need a Council working collaboratively for long-term strategic planning that will ensure a better, brighter future for everyone.

I won’t tell you who those people are. You’re smart enough to figure it out. You did in 2015. You can get info on the candidates on their Facebook pages, and you can meet them face-to-face at one of the upcoming forums. Read what they have to say, listen to what they tell you about their plans for the future. And then decide: who amongst the 6 candidates is ready to roll up their sleeves in January and do the hard work with the rest of us. Most importantly, get out and vote.