School board, county council and a new form of government: Your guide to voting in Chester County
Editor’s note: This story has been edited to include the responses of School Board Candidate Nakia Houston-White.
Here’s what Chester County voters need to know as we get closer to the Nov. 3 general election.
Precincts and polling places can be found here. The Herald’s voting guide also can be used to view a sample ballot for your address. Go online to heraldonline.com.
Voters who are registered in Chester County can go to 109 Ella Street for early voting. Information on voting absentee can be found here.
Masks must be worn to vote.
In the general election, people in Chester County will vote for contested races in County Council District 3 and the School Board District 5.
According to Chester Supervisor of Elections Karen Roach, candidate Les Devatt, who petitioned to run against District 4 Councilman Pete Wilson (R), did not qualify. This means Wilson is now unopposed.
Also, all other open county council and school board seats are unopposed.
Sheriff Max Dorsey is running against former Sheriff Alex Underwood. More information on this race can be found in the Herald’s voter guide here.
Administrator or supervisor?
Voters also will be asked to choose between the council-supervisor form of county government or the council-administrator government.
The county currently has a council-supervisor government. State law describes the supervisor as a “qualified elector of the county, elected at large for a term of two or four years.” Chester has elected supervisors for a term of four years in the past.
County Supervisor Shane Stuart was elected by the county. He was suspended by SC Gov. Henry McMaster after his arrest on charges of trafficking meth, manufacturing meth, conspiracy, and misconduct in office.
The governor appointed current Interim Supervisor Wylie G. Frederick.
The council-administrator form of government would replace the county supervisor with a county administrator. South Carolina law grants the council permission to appoint this administrator, “who shall be the administrative head of the county government and shall be responsible for the administration of all the departments of the county government which the council has the authority to control.”
County Council District 3
Michael Head, 55, lives in Pine View Lakes in Chester County. He is a technical director for Rudolph-Venture Chemicals. He also is a disabled Air Force veteran. He wants to help the new sheriff curb crime and provide programs for recovery from drug addiction, he said in a phone interview.
On his campaign, Head told the Herald:
“My main concern is when we moved to Chester a few years ago, our property taxes were sky high, and the services we get for those are inadequate. My opponent has been unopposed, and I couldn’t just stand by and let him have it for free again. I decided to run and make sure that people are getting the services that they deserve.”
Incumbent Joe Branham (D) did not respond to the Herald’s request for comment.
School Board District 5
Steve Jackson, 57, lives in Chester and is the maintenance director at a theme park in Charlotte, NC.
On his campaign, he told the Herald: “I’m running for school board because I’m trying to do something better for the people of Chester county. The school board needs a change, and I’m that change. We need to fix our schools, we need to improve our test scores. We need to get the children of Chester county prepared for the real world, whether they’re ready to go to college or to not go to college.”
Nakia Houston-White, 38, lives in Chester and is an educator.
On her campaign, she said:
“I have a strong passion to positively impact education in our community. I want to impact every aspect of our students’ lives by by ensuring that they have a quality education, the resources, and the opportunities to develop the skills needed to promote productivity and achievement.”
This story was originally published October 25, 2020 at 7:00 AM with the headline "School board, county council and a new form of government: Your guide to voting in Chester County."
