Simple Civics: Greenville County

More than 4,000 children and youth are in the foster care system in South Carolina. Even though the system is a necessary way to move children to a safe place, a governmental system can in no way take the place of a loving parental relationship. David White, Founder and CEO of Fostering Great Ideas, joins us to discuss the role of community members creating support for young people and their parents who are part of foster care. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Primary elections just happened in Greenville County! With that comes some statistics that we can analyze. Today we are covering why voter turnout is important, which counties had the highest (and lowest) voter turnout, and what we can all do to help increase voter turnout for the next election. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

The term "affordable housing is thrown around a lot these days in Greenville County. Of course, what is affordable to one person is not at all affordable to another. Housing can be called affordable if you are spending no more than 1/3 of your income to procure it. That means that there should be housing that is affordable to a CEO as well as to someone who earns minimum wage. In Greenville County, that is not the case right now. How did these affordable housing challenges come to be, and what tools are at the disposal of local government? This episode of Simple Civics: Greenville County covers this and so much more around housing policy, history, and economics. Travis Wharton, Director of Education and Economic Mobility at the United Way of Greenville County talks with Dr. Kenn Kolb, a Professor of Sociology and Chairman of the department of sociology at Furman University. Travis Wharton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-wharton-a1b831b8/ Kenn Kolb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-kolb-a0418661/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Parliamentary procedure is at work when you hear "so moved," "second," and "call the question!" in a meeting. It may sound confusing and Byzantine, but it supports productive conversation, deliberation, and both the majority and minority on a public body like an elected council or board. Greenville County Councilman Dan Tripp, known to be one of the most well-versed on council regarding parliamentary procedure, joins us to discuss what it is and how it's used. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

In 2018 (the last mid-term or non-presidential election), more than half of South Carolina's voters turned out on the November election day. But back in June, only 20% of voters cast a ballot in the primary election. And that small group of summer voters largely determined who ended up in office. Because most of our races in South Carolina have just one party represented on the ballot in November, and that person is chosen during the summer primary. Jason Zacher, Senior Vice President of Business Advocacy with the Greenville Chamber and Upstate Chamber Coalition covers this and other important election-related topics. He's interviewed by Derek Lewis of Greenville First Steps._Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 26 in the Republican primary on June 14th: Lynn Ballard and Rick Bradley. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Lynn Ballard: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/Council/CouncilMember.aspx?m=LynnBallard Rick Bradley: https://rickworks4u.com/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 23 in the Democratic primary on June 14th: Alan Mitchell and David C. Mitchell. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Alan Mitchell: https://www.alanmitchell-greenville23.com/ David C. Mitchell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-c-mitchell-15b0465/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 19 in the Republican primary on June 14th: Benton Blount, Jackie Clark, and Ivan Mathena (Willis Meadows, the incumbant, did not respond to numerous requests to participate). Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Benton Blount: https://bentonblount.com/ Jackie Clark: No website yet Ivan Mathena: https://ivanforsc.com/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Meet Joe Dill and Joey Russo, primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 17 in the Republican primary on June 14th. In this episode, each candidate has 10 minutes to introduce himself to the voters. Mr. Dill is the incumbent and Mr. Russo is seeking to unseat him. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors. Joe Dill Website: https://joedillforcountycouncil.com/ Joey Russo Website: https://www.votejoeyrusso.com/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Primary elections are not the extra credit assignment - they are for ALL voters (and in some cases are more important than the November general election!). This episode is your complete voter to-do list, for newcomers and long-time voters alike. Lawson Wetli with the League of Women Voters of Greenville County fills us in on all of the details about registering, research, and voting in person on election day, early absentee, or by mail. SC Election Commission website: https://SCVotes.gov Voter registration info: https://info.scvotes.sc.gov/eng/voterinquiry/VoterInformationRequest.aspx?PageMode=VoterInfo Sample ballot: http://vote411.org/ Greenville County election commission: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/VoterRegistration/ Find Lawson Wetli on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lawson-wetli-76499543/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Greenville County Sheriff Hobart Lewis and Greenville City Police Chief Howie Thompson lead law enforcement to maintain public order, manage public safety, and enforce laws within their jurisdictions. Both came into their roles at the beginning of one of the most tumultuous times in recent history. In this episode, we'll hear from them on the basics about their organizations, their strategic priorities, and how their view their work during this time of racial reckoning and change in our community and nation. Find Sheriff Hobart Lewis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hobart-lewis-1b1b19126/ Find Chief Howie Thompson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/howie-thompson-80571b158/ Greenville County Sheriff's Office: https://gcso.org/ Greenville Police Department: http://greenvillepd.com/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

In all but two school districts in South Carolina - and in the majority of districts across the nation - school board races are nonpartisan. Candidates run to serve on the school board without affiliation to the Democratic, Libertarian, Republican, or any other political party. Why is that and what are the benefits? Catherine Schumacher with Public Education Partners talks with former school board member Tommie Reece about political parties and schools. Find Catherine Schumacher on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/catherine-schumacher-b938407/ Find Tommie Reece on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tommie-reece-ab89b717/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

If you attend Greenville County Council meetings, you’ll typically see several items on the agenda related to Fee in Lieu of Tax agreement. Your eyes might glaze over at this point in the meeting or your ears might perk up wondering why someone might pay a fee instead of a tax. These agreements have been in the news twice just this year as Council rejected a Greer development project looking for a Fee in Lieu of Tax agreement and reversed course allowing a FILOT for another large development project. What are FILOTs, or Fee in Lieu of Tax agreements, why do they exist, and how do governments use them? To help us understand, we're joined by Mark Farris, President and CEO of Greenville Area Development Corporation, or GADC for short. GADC is a county chartered organization tasked with promoting and enhancing the economic growth of Greenville County and Mark joined GADC in 2014. Over his decades-long career, Mark and his teams have brought billions of economic investment to the communities he served along with tens of thousands of jobs. We hope you’ll find Mark's discussion of FILOTs in South Carolina's tax system helpful. Find Mark Farris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-farris-1778b6a4/ Scott Case Episode on Taxes: https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org/property-taxes-in-greenville-county-an-overview-with-county-auditor-scott-case/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Partnerships between nonprofit organizations and government can help each party achieve its objectives in a way that neither could on its own, and all for the benefit of the larger community. Jenn Hulehan, member of Simpsonville City Council, and Mark Steenback, Chief Resource Officer with Habitat for Humanity, discuss a partnership between the city and Habitat that is bringing 13 new affordable homes to Simpsonville and what goes into a successful government/nonprofit partnership. Jenn Hulehan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jbhulehan/ Mark Steenback LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marksteenback/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Getting cars off the road, getting employees to workplaces, getting shoppers to retail - transit is essential to making these things happen. James Keel, Director of Greenlink (Greenville County's transit system), and Erin Predmore, Executive Director of Greenville Connects (a local transit advocacy coalition), discuss why transit is essential, the many improvements to Greenlink in recent years, and how you can ride if you haven't already. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

"Businesses like to go where people are happy. If you've got people who are happy, you've got happy employees." Van Broad, newly retired economic development director for the City of Mauldin, reflects on why economic development is important, how it is done, and how it's about so much more than simply recruiting businesses to our community. He's interviewed by Taft Matney, Mauldin City Council member, and he says: "Economic development is multifaceted. It can be community development - like renewing a downtown - taking events, the cultural center, activities, connecting people, connecting opportunity, and using that to showcase to business that you can do business in the community. And certainly you want to do business in a community where a city council and the government sees the value of investing in arts, investing in people, and not just in the traditional sense of industrial and business development and recruitment, but really in community life and quality. I think those are hand in hand with economic development." _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Tina Harris, Director of Greenville County Outreach for FAVOR, says, “I have a desire to do more advocating for the homeless and being a mouthpiece because I can look at my own experience, and I know it wasn’t a good or pretty picture. So, I’m open to standing up and being a voice for those that don’t have a voice.” She’s been recruiting more people who have or are currently experiencing homelessness to stand up and speak up. “I knew that they had a heart for change. And change comes when people come together – not in fear to open their mouths because of who’s listening, but we come together strong and we speak out for what is right.” Tina is interviewed by Susan McLarty, Coordinator of Greenville Homeless Alliance (GHA), who with Tina recently piloted the first GHA advocacy academy. Sign up for information and updates from Greenville Homeless Alliance - https://www.gvlhomes4all.org/connect _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

In 2018 (the last mid-term or non-presidential election), more than half of South Carolina's voters turned out on the November election day. But back in June, only 20% of voters cast a ballot in the primary election. And that small group of summer voters largely determined who ended up in office. Because most of our races in South Carolina have just one party represented on the ballot in November, and that person is chosen during the summer primary. Jason Zacher, Senior Vice President of Business Advocacy with the Greenville Chamber and Upstate Chamber Coalition covers this and other important election-related topics. He's interviewed by Derek Lewis of Greenville First Steps. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Greenville County will grow by more than 200,000 residents over the next twenty years, and its decisions we make today that will shape the way this growth impacts us. Tee Coker is Assistant Administrator for Community Planning and Development with Greenville County, and he joins us to discuss all things planning. You may notice that our speakers’ voices are somewhat muffled. They are both wearing masks because this episode was recorded at a time of high community spread of Covid. Greenville County GIS: https://www.gcgis.org/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

What is needed to run for office? Does party matter as a candidate? What are the biggest lessons learned as an elected official? You'll learn about these topics and more in this conversation between two experienced public servants. Rep. Chandra Dillard (D) has served on Greenville City Council and is currently in the SC House of Representatives. Greenville Water Commissioner Deb Sofield (R) has also served on Greenville City Council and is a commissioner with Greenville Water. They offer a wealth of insight in their conversation with Danny Varat, Deputy Director of A Child's Haven. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Generally, the legislative priorities of a Chamber of Commerce are focused on improving the business climate. This often includes reducing tax burdens on businesses and improving access to workers for business growth. But the interests of social services agencies - including expungement of criminal records, managed growth, public transportation, and education - are important to businesses as well. Jason Zacher, Senior Vice President of Business Advocacy with the Greenville Chamber and the Upstate Chamber Coalition joins us to discuss the connections. Derek Lewis of Greenville First Steps interviews. Greenville Chamber’s advocacy agenda: https://www.greenvillechamber.org/policyagenda _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

If you've spent any time driving around Greenville County then you know we have lots of roads and bridges to maintain. You can thank Hesha Gamble for the great condition they are in. Hesha is the Assistant County Administrator for Engineering and Public Works. Hesha is a fantastic public servant and is active in non-profits and philanthropy in Greenville County. She's involved in her sorority, Delta Sigma Theta, and has recently left the board of the Piedmont Health Foundation. Join us and learn more about roads, bridges, and all of the infrastructure in Greenville County! You may notice that our speakers’ voices are somewhat muffled. They are both wearing masks because this episode was recorded at a time of high community spread of Covid. Hesha's Bio: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heshag/ Greenville County GIS: https://www.gcgis.org/ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Kelly Byers and Will Ragland are nonprofit professionals who felt a calling to run for office back in 2014. Kelly is the Director of Annual Giving for the Peace Center and a member of Travelers Rest City Council. Will Ragland is Founder and Executive Director of Mill Town Players and the Mayor of Pelzer. In this extended episode, they interview each other on why they ran for office, what they've learned, and why they believe it's important for residents to be involved. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Payday loans, title loans, and some personal installment loans in charge interest rates that trap South Carolinians who are struggling to make ends meet. With rates as high as 999%, these lenders prey upon the poor with commercials with catchy jingles and colorful storefronts. This episode features the SC Fair Lending Alliance which is focused on capping the interest rates lenders can charge: a more fair rate of 36%. Kerri Smith of Self-Help Credit Union and Susan Stall with Village Engage discuss the issue and opportunities for change. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Redistricting our Country Council seats in Greenville County is almost complete. Today we'll hear from Lawson Wetli with the League of Women Voters and the NAACP to talk about the maps. How they look, whether we are happy with them, the process for getting here, and what's next. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Serving on a board or commission that is appointed by your city or county is a meaningful way to serve in local government without running for office. Autumn Shearin, who works at Harvest Hope Food Bank, was looking for a way to make a difference in local government, and her appointment to the Thrive Upstate Board made perfect allows her to give a voice for people with disabilities and support the mission of this organization. Danny Varat, Deputy Director of A Child’s Haven, talks with Autumn about her motivation and experience applying and provides insights on the application process. Boards & Commissions: Greenville County: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/Council/boardscomm.aspx City of Greenville: https://www.greenvillesc.gov/478/Boards-Commissions City of Greer: https://www.cityofgreer.org/276/Boards-Commissions City of Mauldin: https://cityofmauldin.org/city-accepting-applications-to-planning-commission/ City of Simpsonville: https://www.simpsonville.com/bc City of Travelers Rest: https://travelersrestsc.com/government/boards-commissions/ Legislative delegation-appointed boards: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/legdel/documents/Boards%20and%20Commissions/Seat%20Availability.pdf?t=1642446778316 _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Dr. Shaniece Criss is busy as a health science faculty member at Furman University, a member of many community boards and initiatives, and a wonderful wife and mother. But she felt the calling to serve by running for elected office. In this episode, she shares her experience as a member of the Travelers Rest City Council and tips for how you can get involved by running for office or simply being more civically engaged. _ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Tikeeta Wallace says, “I started going down (to County Council) and peeking in those meetings and I realized they were actually talking about my community. And when I realized that, I realized that if you’re going to be talking about my community and making choices on my community, if I can be here and speak, and I’m going to take every opportunity I can.” Tikeeta joins us to discuss how she went from being unaware of how local government worked to helping lead her neighborhood’s implementation plan with County staff. She strongly believes that the barriers residents are experiencing that they might be embarrassed to discuss are actually helpful information for decision-makers to know to make our community better, and she encourages all residents to speak up and get involved. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Derek Lewis is executive director of Greenville First Steps, and he is also a member of Greenville County Schools Board of Trustees, representing district 24. Derek shares how he became interested in serving on the school board, the role of the board, and how interconnected the roles of local governments are (it’s all about growth!). He’s interviewed by GP McLeer, another nonprofit leader (executive director of SC Arts Alliance) and elected official (Mayor of Fountain Inn). _ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

This time of year, hundreds of thousands of Greenville County residents have property tax bills due January 15. And many of them like we have questions about what’s included, how the rates are determined, and where the funds go. In this episode, Greenville County Auditor Scott Case gives us an overview of property taxes in Greenville County. Greenville County Auditor - https://www.greenvillecounty.org/auditor/ How to apply for a homestead or other exemption - https://www.greenvillecounty.org/auditor/ExemptionsMain.aspx _ _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Is there something you’d like to see in your neighborhood? An addition you DON’T want to see? A neighborhood association is the best way to join with others to interact with government to make things happen. In today’s episode, Gina Norris Hinton, president of the new Slater-Marietta Neighborhood Association, is interviewed by Channing Banks with Greenville Dreams of United Way of Greenville County to cover how she got involved, what the association has worked on, and what she’s learned. Greenville Dreams: https://www.unitedwaygc.org/greenville-dreams/ Gina Norris Hinton's Email: [email protected] _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

GP McLeer is executive director of the South Carolina Arts Alliance, and he is also the youngest person to serve as Mayor of Fountain Inn. GP shares why he ran for office, what he’s excited about in Fountain Inn, and why he believes local government is important. He’s interviewed by Derek Lewis, another nonprofit leader (executive director of Greenville First Steps) and elected official (Greenville County Schools board of trustees). _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Even if you live in Travelers Rest, Greer, Greenville city, Mauldin, Simpsonville, or Fountain Inn, you are still one of the 525,000 people who are represented by Greenville County Council, and the decisions of the County government impact you. Learn more about our Greenville County government and how you can be part of its decision-making. Featuring Bob Mihalic, Government Affairs Coordinator for Greenville County. Bob’s responsibilities include researching, coordinating, creating, and implementing Greenville County’s short and long term public policy goals as they relate to federal, state, and local legislation and serving as on-air spokesperson for the county while managing all public communications including extensive media relations involving public relations/events, FOIA, and general information requests. Learn more about Greenville County Council members, look up your Greenville County Council member, see each week’s calendar, and more _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Redistricting happens just once every ten years, and at its core determines who can represent you – in congress, in the legislature, and on city and county councils. It’s the process of redrawing lines of various congressional, legislative, and council districts to determine which geographic areas are represented by whom. Lawson Wetli, president of the Greenville County League of Women Voters, joins us to describe what it means here in Greenville County. You can find Lawson's full bio here: https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org/local-redistricting-what-is-it-and-why-it-matters _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Most people are so much more focused on federal issues, like immigration, guns, and health care than they are on local government. But Bob Mihalic, Government Relations Coordinator for Greenville County, joins Katy Smith with Greenville Partnership for Philanthropy to discuss why he believes local government is so important and how easy it is to get involved. Visit https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org for more. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Trash pick up. EMS and 911 service. Roads and sidewalks. Business licenses. School bus routes. These are the things that impact your day-to-day life, and they are all part of local government. But hardly anyone pays attention to local government - until they have a problem. We want to change that. Simple Civics: Greenville County is here to help you learn about and get involved in your local government in Greenville County, South Carolina. Whether you live in downtown Greenville or Possum Kingdom, Marietta or Mauldin, Greer or the Golden Strip, if you care about your community, this podcast is for you. Visit https://simplecivicsgreenvillecounty.org for more. _ Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.