'It's going to be a lot more respectful': Greenville County Council members want unity
After four new members were elected in November, Greenville County Council is preparing for its first meetings of the new year.
In phone interviews with The Greenville News, some members expressed hope for a more united and respectful session.
"The last two years were an aberration, I think," said Butch Kirven, the longest serving active councilmember, of the recent dysfunction that has, at times, plagued County Council.
Last March, a fiery argument broke out among council members about a proposed tax break for United Community Bank. Before that in November 2021, tensions flared over the decision to eliminate a tax break for a proposed development in downtown Greer.
While Kirven acknowledged debate and disagreement will remain with different political ideologies at play, he believes debate will be more productive than combative.
"It's going to be a lot more respectful and considerate," he said.
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Councilmember Chris Harrison echoed Kirven's sentiments about the 12-person council.
"I think that my big thing is unity — unification," Harrison said.
Still serving his first term, Harrison said there were times over the past two years where Council didn't "feel like a team."
Some of the previous session's stalemates, Harrison said, hampered Council's ability to function. Those stalemates also called into question the public's faith in its leaders, he said.
"When you have six people on one side and six people on the other, it makes us all look wrong," he said.
Harrison also said he believes this new legislative session will be different, with council members working to implement their vision for the future of Greenville County.
Here's what to expect from Greenville County Council's first two meetings
Next Monday, Jan. 9, the four new council members elected last November will be sworn in for the first time at 6 p.m. inside Council Chambers at County Square. This meeting is largely ceremonial, and will not involve any legislative agenda items.
Then, on Tuesday, council members will again meet at 6 p.m. to select council's new chair and vice chair. They will also decide on committee appointments for the session. The chair acts as County Council's leader and is tasked with setting the agenda of each meeting.
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Joey Russo, the newly-elected District 17 councilmember, said because of his background as a sheriff's deputy he would like to work on the Public Safety Committee.
Newly-elected District 23 Councilmember Alan Mitchell said regardless of his committee assignments, he will work on his campaign platforms of infrastructure and affordable housing.
The 12-person Greenville County Council includes:
Joey Russo, District 17
Mike Barnes, District 18
Benton Blount, District 19
Steve Shaw, District 20
Chris Harrison, District 21
Stan Tzouvelekas, District 22
Alan Mitchell, District 23
Liz Seman, District 24
Ennis Fant, District 25
Rick Bradley, District 26
Butch Kirven, District 27
Dan Tripp, District 28
After next week's organizational meetings, County Council will next meet on Jan. 24 for the first regular council meeting of the year.
− Tim Carlin covers county government, growth and development for The Greenville News. Follow him on Twitter @timcarlin_, and get in touch with him at TCarlin@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Greenville News: As new session nears, Greenville County Council members hope for unity
