Press Release: Sullivan’s Island Referendum

CONTACT PHONE:  (843) 224-4616

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

SULLIVAN’S ISLAND REFERENDUM? A LARGE AND GROWING GROUP OF SULLIVAN’S ISLAND RESIDENTS SUPPORT LEGAL EFFORTS TO REQUIRE SULLIVAN’S TOWN COUNCIL TO ALLOW A VOTE ON THE SIZE OF THE SCHOOL PROPOSED FOR THE FRONT BEACH. CONCERNED SULLIVAN’S ISLAND RESIDENTS HAVE RAISED MONEY AND ARE NOW IN THE PROCESS OF SELECTING AN ATTORNEY TO REPRESENT THEIR INTERESTS.  GO TO www.sischoolvote.org FOR MORE INFORMATION.

A referendum is simply an exercise in participatory democracy.  The residents of James Island held a referendum. The residents of Folly Beach are in the process of holding a referendum. So why is the Sullivan’s Island Town Council denying this right to the residents of Sullivan’s Island—even with a certified petition demanding a vote on the size of the school?

Residents on Sullivan’s Island support the idea of replacing the school on the island with a new school.  What they do not support is the enormous size of the school planned by the Charleston County School District and agreed to by the Sullivan’s Island Town Council.  At 74,000 SF,  48’ high,  and raised 11’ off of the ground, the school is out of proportion to other buildings in the small island community and unnecessarily intrusive on the environment and the historic residential neighborhoods on Sullivan’s Island.  Residents are justifiably concerned that a school of this size will cause problems with the town’s fragile and vulnerable waste water system, cause drainage problems in the surrounding neighborhoods and exacerbate the recently documented issue of declining water quality in the ocean waters around Sullivan’s Island.  

Town Council negotiated the lease with the school district in Executive Session, thus keeping it out of the public eye until negotiations were complete.  Once the size and scope of the proposed school were revealed in May of 2011, a group of Sullivan’s Island citizens got together a petition for a referendum on the size of the school, obtained the signatures of well over 15% of registered voters and had the petition certified by the Charleston County Board of Elections. The citizens  presented the certified petition to Town Council prior to the ratification of the lease with the school district. Town Council refused to defer the ratification of the lease and has maintained ever since that it does not have to proceed with the referendum vote demanded by the petition.

After months of trying to work with Sullivan’s Island Town Council on the referendum issue, it has become apparent that a new approach is necessary.  A website has been set up to provide information and raise funds to hire an attorney to represent the citizens’ interests against Town Council.  Go to www.sischoolvote.org  to find out more. Photos of signs from referendum supporters at the school site are attached.

2012-08-02 19:48:08

Source: http://charlestonteaparty.org/press-release-sullivans-island-referendum/