Published: Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 / Updated: Friday, Oct. 30, 2009 06:58 AM

Tega Cay voters to select mayor, council members Tuesday

TEGA CAY -- Tega Cay residents will go to the polls Tuesday to elect a mayor and two City Council members. Two candidates are running for mayor, and six people are vying for the two council seats.

The Herald's sister paper, the Fort Mill Times, asked the candidates two questions about important issues facing the city.

See page 7B for their answers and for a brief background on each candidate.

Bob Runde

Age: 68

Family: Wife, Cecelia; adult sons, David Runde, Robert Runde, Donald Runde and Dennis Runde

Political experience: First elected to the Tega Cay City Council in 2002. He has served as mayor for nearly seven-in-a-half years

Employment: Retired owner and operator of a medical computer systems business

George Sheppard

Age: 45

Family: Wife, Penny; daughter, Emma

Political experience: Tega Cay City Council incumbent first elected in 2007

Employment: Senior account representative with Bulkley Dunton, a division of International Paper

On the issues

How would you increase Tega Cay's contingency fund?

Runde: “The only way we're going to grow the contingency fund is through commercial annexation. Our budget is cut to the bare bones.”

Sheppard: “Some of the ways we're going to grow the contingency is to stop all needless spending and substantially reduce costly fees, including legal fees. I am going to go to the community and ask for the community's advice and support. I want to publish the budget online so the community can view and know where and how their money is being spent.”

What is the key to continuing Tega Cay's progressiveness?

Runde: “We must do commercial annexation and do as much of it as we can over the coming years. The growth we need is not houses. The growth we need is commercial annexation, which would improve our tax base without significantly increasing our expenses.”

Sheppard: “Let's complete the current projects we have, i.e., Walmart and the Stonecrest area. Having those completed will enable us to financially grow the city. Having the businesses will allow us to receive and collect business license revenue.”

John Dervay

Age: 65

Family: Adult children, Shawne Dervay and Shannon Dervay

Political experience: Tega Cay City Council incumbent first elected in 2006

Employment: Retired

Thomas Fitzpatrick

Age: 52

Family: Wife, Patricia; son, Thomas

Politicalexperience: None

Employment: Served 22 years with the U.S. Customs and Border Protection before becoming a stay-at-home father

Dottie Hersey

Age: 51

Family: Husband, David; daughter, Lauren

Political experience: None

Employment: Attorney and senior contract director

Keen McHugh

Age: 65

Family: Wife, Nancy Adams; adult children, Chad McHugh, Jill Shughart and Mike McHugh

Political experience: None

Employment: Owner of an international consultation business

Stephen Perkins

Age: 44

Family: Wife, Shawn; adult children, Rikki Williams and Stephen Perkins Jr.

Political experience: Former Tega Cay City Councilman, served November 2003-July 2006

Employment: Vice president of an insurance company

Katherine Shive

Age: 40

Family: Husband, Gary; children, Nate and Lizzie

Political experience: None

Employment: Formerly employed for 15 years in the retail industry before becoming a stay-at-home mother

On the issues

How would you increase Tega Cay's contingency fund?

Dervay: “My game plan is not to fund wants until we have built a significant contingency to handle things that go bump in the night. We need to work toward a contingency fund that will pay our operating expenses October through January so we won't have to take out a loan to pay our bills. That money could be used to help build the contingency quicker.”

Fitzpatrick: “We have to do a line-by-line review of the budget and make cuts where appropriate.”

Hersey: “I would scrub the budget with a view toward eliminating non-essential expenditures, such as Fourth of July fireworks and the croquet field. I would plan future budgets around city needs versus city wants. In other words, ensuring the essential services, processes and requirements are met.”