Watts Huckabee wins the final seat on York County Council. Here’s what he’ll do first
Unofficial results from Tuesday’s vote show Watts Huckabee will be the next member of York County Council.
Huckabee, a Rock Hill Republican, won almost 65% of the vote against Rock Hill Democrat Ryan Stephens. Those unofficial results were posted a little before 9 p.m. on Tuesday. Results will be certified at 10 a.m. on Thursday.
Huckabee, 56, is a Rock Hill native and Winthrop University graduate. He founded an insurance and investment group more than 30 years ago, and is a partner or investor in several other local ventures.
Huckabee will serve the term vacated when Brandon Guffey was elected to the state legislature. The seat comes up for election again next year. Huckabee said he’s excited to serve Rock Hill and York County as the third new member on the County Council this year.
“We’ve got a young group and we’ve got some seasoned veterans, and I think together we can do a lot to accomplish some great things for York County,” Huckabess said.
A high priority will be to study the county budget.
Huckabee said he wants to know it inside and out to help form his votes. He said he also wants to learn more, and eventually engage others, in the community with passions for, topics from planning, zoning and parks to roads, homelessness and affordable housing.
“I’m going to listen a lot and try to learn as much as I can,” Huckabee said.
Huckabee has a history of service. He spent eight years on the Winthrop board of trustees, appointed separate times by a Republican and Democratic governor. He’s been on boards or leadership roles with the Children’s Attention Home, Safe Passage and on a probation and parole board.
County specific efforts include serving on and chairing the hospitality tax advisory committee that helped fund some of the area’s largest recreation sites like Field Day Park in Lake Wylie and Comporium Athletic Park in Fort Mill. Huckabee also co-chaired a group to explore a possible agritourism site for the county.
Huckabee said he’s been involved and at times vocal on county issues, but from less visible roles than the one he’ll now have.
“This challenge now is a little different,” Huckabee said. “It’s not about making a difference quietly behind the scenes.”
Huckabee intends to work to give York County a competitive advantage compared to other municipalities, particularly in economic development.
This story was originally published January 4, 2023 at 10:44 AM.
