Roddey should lead smooth transition

We can understand Chester County Supervisor Carlisle Roddey’s initial reluctance to concede defeat in a special election Tuesday. The result no doubt was as surprising to him as to many of his supporters.

Roddey was defeated by political novice Shane Stuart in a rerun of November’s election. Roddey appeared to have won a ninth term in office in the regular general election, but Stuart, running as a petition candidate, came within 230 votes of defeating the long-time supervisor. Stuart then appealed to the S.C. Election Commission, which ruled in December that, because of voting-place irregularities, a new election should be held.

Tuesday’s election, like November’s, was close but with reversed results. Stuart pulled in 2,644 votes to Roddey’s 2,292.

While turnout for any special election can be low, this time it might have been the result of overconfidence on the part of Roddey’s supporters. After all, they are used to seeing him win.

Roddey has held the post of supervisor for nearly 30 years and also has been a fixture in the community, manning the announcing booth at Friday night Chester Cyclone football games for decades. And he has been successful, especially in recent months, in attracting new investment in the county.

Roddey recently oversaw the groundbreaking for the new Giti Tire plant in Richburg, which will instantly become one of the county’s biggest employers. Roddey played a key personal role in bringing the company to the county.

It also has been apparent, however, that many county voters feel the time has come for new blood. Stuart, a former police officer who had never run for public office before, was well situated to take advantage of that sentiment.

While many residents have expressed their appreciation for local economic growth and a drop in the jobless rate, many also feel change should come more quickly. And whatever happens next, this represents the end of one era and the beginning of another for the county.

We hope Roddey and Stuart will work together to make the transition a seamless one. It is safe to say that no one knows more about the county operation than Roddey, and he needs to do everything possible to smooth the way for Stuart.

That may be particularly important in welcoming Giti to the community. To date, Roddey has been a primary county contact for Giti officials, and they need to be reassured that construction of the new plant and any issues that might arise will be dealt with professionally in the months ahead.

Again, though, county voters indicated they are ready for a change. While residents no doubt are grateful for Roddey’s devoted service over the past three decades, they want to see new leadership, a different approach, a break from the status quo.

We hope Stuart will fulfill those wishes and that Roddey will do his best to ensure that he does.

This story was originally published March 7, 2015 at 12:00 PM with the headline "Roddey should lead smooth transition."