'Won't stop until I make a difference': Exley defeats Hills in Rincon city council race
Rincon’s Special Election was just that – special.
In what started out with a handful of voters turned into hundreds coming out Sept. 19 to cast their ballot for city council candidates Kevin Exley and Eric Hills.
Exley won by a landslide, receiving 372 votes while Hills received 157. Exley will fill the seat vacated by Damon Rahn, who resigned this past summer the same week City Manager Jonathan Lynn was suspended.
It is a story of redemption for Exley. He was on council in 2019 and 2020 but vacated his post in 2020 after then-employer Waste Pro was interested in doing business with the City of Rincon. Exley said an attorney informed him it could lead to a conflict of interest.
But according to Exley, residents did not see it that way. His surrendering came across as quitting on the community – a rumor that has fueled Exley to show residents that this time, he is in it for the long haul.
When asked why he should be trusted during a town hall meeting, Exley said, “Maybe because I keep coming back. I know some can’t stand it but this is not a popularity contest. I’ve learned a lot of things the first time and I will get better.”
The road back to city council is just the beginning.
Exley plans to run for mayor in the 2025 election – again. Mayor Ken Lee outlasted Exley by a slim margin in the 2021 race.
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“I have all these plans and energy,” said Exley. “One thing I have on my side is time. I don’t know how long I’m going to live but I will not stop until I make a difference.”
Exley was spotted with supporters outside Riley’s Restaurant Tuesday morning. Their signs and friendly waves were met with beeping horns from motorists, a sign that the hard work from his campaign paid off.
“People get excited about elections because it is a time for democracy and a time for you to have a voice,” said Exley. “The mayor wants to keep this thing quiet. He has a group of people that vote for him. It’s on the challenger to get out there and show up.”
Exley’s biggest challenge in his new post will be limiting the number of industrial properties, an issue that residents have vocalized at city council meetings. He admitted warehouse growth is inevitable but can be mitigated through developer agreements.
“You're at the fourth largest port in the United States,” said Exley. “We are going to have some warehouses but we put the cart before the horse. We did not build the infrastructure, and you can't come back and build infrastructure later. It's so hard to do that. If you approve one and it's already zoned, you can stop it by saying we're not agreeing to move forward with a developer agreement right now.”
Neighbor and friend Lynn Childress was vocal about the state of the city, saying the next mayoral election will have a different outcome.
“I’m here today supporting my friend,” said Childress. “I remember when he lost the election to the mayor by 17 votes. It won’t happen again. We are trying to redeem ourselves from that loss.”
Latrice Williams is a general assignment reporter covering Bryan and Effingham County. She can be reached at lwilliams6@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Kevin Exley defeated Eric Hills in the Rincon Special Election
