Spartanburg City Council

[Sparkleman 94]

According to a couple of sources I have spoken with a certain city councilman (Reader) showed up at a downtown nightclub and was apparently drunk when the whole altercation involving his son went down. How does he get a free pass and not get arrested for anything? Is the council above the law here or is it because its a black/white thing and the Sptbg Public safety dept are apparently are not trained to handle such a problem?

This whole thing smells really bad and makes council look bad and the fact that they won't discuss it further feels like a cover up is coming.

[roads-scholar 149]

According to a couple of sources I have spoken with a certain city councilman (Reader) showed up at a downtown nightclub and was apparently drunk when the whole altercation involving his son went down. How does he get a free pass and not get arrested for anything? Is the council above the law here or is it because its a black/white thing and the Sptbg Public safety dept are apparently are not trained to handle such a problem?

This whole thing smells really bad and makes council look bad and the fact that they won't discuss it further feels like a cover up is coming.

I haven't talked to anyone about this incident nor was I on the premises when it happened but my reaction is that the whole thing was overblown by Councilman Reeder, his son, the media, and perhaps the proprietor of the nightclub. Mr. Fisher, the Director of Public Safety, probably sat down with the parties involved, including Councilman Reeder, determined the facts, and reasoned with them to the point where emotions simmered down.

I was once involved in a similar, albeit much smaller and less publicized [racial] incident where the Public Safety Department quietly got involved and calmed everyone down to the point where all was forgiven and [hopefully] forgotten. I credit director Fisher with maintaining the racial harmony in a city where African-Americans are well represented on the city council but have little say or economic clout otherwise.

I also credit the nightclub owner who seems to be trying to keep thugs and troublemakers out of his establishment. I'm not into the nightclub scene but, other than the Reeder incident, have not heard or seen of any problems since the club opened.

Do I think there was a cover up? If that's what you want to call Director Fisher intervening, then yes there was a cover up. Do I I think city council was complicit? Probably not.

Historically the white establishment and prominent African-American leaders in Spartanburg have worked closely and quietly to prevent racial tensions and, when tensions did start to boil over, kept them from getting out of control. These men also discouraged agitators, both black and white, from creating other problems. Extremist groups like the Ku Klux Klan have never gained a foothold in Spartanburg.

[Spartan 1523]

He shouldn't had gotten off. I had the same reaction. All it shows is that Council gets preferential treatment with the police department.

[Sparkleman 94]

Reeder is a complete embarrassment to council and the city in this matter. If he cared about the city or had any balls, he'd resign. I know he won't because of his power complex. One good thing about this is that he will not run unopposed next year. Phillip Stone from Hampton Heights has stepped up to run against him on the basis that he down't think its right for Reeder (or anyone else) to run unopposed. Maybe voter turn out will be light that day and all of Hampton Heights will show up and show Reeder the door.

Don't get me wrong as its not a black/white thing, but do we really want to get to a point where the city is beginning to come together and grow, and certain folks get to be above the law? Where is Steven Seagal when you need him?

[roads-scholar 149]

Reeder is a complete embarrassment to council and the city in this matter. If he cared about the city or had any balls, he'd resign. I know he won't because of his power complex. One good thing about this is that he will not run unopposed next year. Phillip Stone from Hampton Heights has stepped up to run against him on the basis that he down't think its right for Reeder (or anyone else) to run unopposed. Maybe voter turn out will be light that day and all of Hampton Heights will show up and show Reeder the door.

Don't get me wrong as its not a black/white thing, but do we really want to get to a point where the city is beginning to come together and grow, and certain folks get to be above the law? Where is Steven Seagal when you need him?

I hope Stone can at least make the race competitive. Too many incumbents on the council have run unopposed and that's not good for the city.

[Spartan 1523]

I think part of the problem is that because the city is so geographically small, and the people with the means to run a campaign is even smaller, that there just isn't enough competition. If there were more economic diversity within the city limits it would likely impact that very problem. JMHO.

[westsider28 1014]

In City Council voting: Sterling Anderson beat incumbent Joe Spigner pretty comfortably in District 1. Jan Scalisi defeated Vance Hammond to take Renee Cariveau's District 2 seat. Robert Reeder kept his District 3 seat by only 3 votes over challenger Phillip Stone (254-251). There will be an automatic recount for that vote, but it's unlikely to change. Voter turnout was extremely low (6.5% county-wide), as usual in non-presidential election years.

District 1 article

District 2 article

District 3 article

Not too thrilled Reeder was re-elected. However, I'm glad to see a few new faces on City Council, particularly Sterling Anderson. I hope they can make a positive impact on the future of Spartanburg.

[spartanburgh 142]

Robert Reeder should have been kicked off Council when he showed his true self at Rome.

[Spartan 1523]

Well, at least Joe Spigner is out. I don't know anything about the incumbents, but I was never a Spigner fan.

[Spartan 1523]

Linda Dogan has been voted out of office. She was by far my least favorite councilmember - always a stick in the mud about everything, and generally voting against things that are good for the city as a whole. It remains to be seen how this new person will work, but I'm of the opinion that change is a good thing in local politics.

 

 

http://www.goupstate.com/article/20131105/ARTICLES/131109828/1112?Title=Brown-unseats-Dogan-in-Spartanburg-council-race

[Sparkleman 94]

I know Erica Brown personally and I can tell you she is going to be GREAT! Talk about someone who is looking towards the future for Spartanburg and how to best get there, you could not come up with a better person. She will bring a lot of fire and doing what's best for Spartanburg going forward instead a someone just there for the job like Dogan (love how after she lost, Dogan said she really wasn't sure her heart was in it this time. What a sore loser!) and Spigner (douchebag) were. Brown is especially fired up about instituting all the changes and improvements on the northside where the new Farmer's market complex is taking place.

 

This is a huge win for Spartanburg!

[roads-scholar 149]

I communicated with Linda Dogan back in the early 2000's about 2-3 matters that were important to me.  I found her willing to listen and willing to get involved on my behalf.

 

Linda was certainly an independent and outspoken voice on the council - generally expressing opinions that were often contrary to that of the other council members.  I think she saw herself as being something like a 60's throwback - part radical, part leftist, part feminist, part iconoclast, part populist who spoke for the African-American community against the established [white] power structure in Spartanburg.  Her political base was small and apparently abandoned her yesterday.

 

I don't know Erica Brown but I'm excited about her.  At the least she will bring fresh perspectives to the council.

[westsider28 1014]

The bad news from a few weeks ago was that Sterling Anderson (District 1 - west side) resigned to take a full-time position with the Air Force. (H-J article)  He has been a big supporter of bike and pedestrian projects, parks, and downtown development, so I'm sad to see him go.  There will be a special election to fill his seat on January 21.

 

I don't know Erica Brown personally, but everything I've heard about her has been extremely positive.  I'm really looking forward to having a new, young voice on City Council (especially representing the Northside, with all that's going to be happening there in the future).

[Spartan 1523]

Linda Dogan is running for her District 6 seat again.

I hope that Erica Brown can find enough support to keep her seat.

 

http://www.goupstate.com/news/20170807/former-spartanburg-city-council-member-dogan-joins-race

[mainonmain 75]

With Myers winning the Democratic nomination for House 31 last night, looks like we'll have a special election to fill her seat on City Council. She should easily beat the Republican nominee in that House race.

[vicupstate 673]

What is everyone's thoguhts on the mayor's race?  It seems to be a quiet affair from what I have seen but I don't live there, so maybe not. 

[roads-scholar 149]

6 hours ago, vicupstate said:

What is everyone's thoguhts on the mayor's race?  It seems to be a quiet affair from what I have seen but I don't live there, so maybe not. 

Junie White is extremely popular especially with his loyal Eastside base.  I don't expect him to lose.  Todd Horne is probably a few years away but is very promising .  The young lady too has promise but isn't ready for this job.  City Council - maybe.  Mayor - not at this time. 

White took a principled stand and did not appear at the candidates forum last week.  I thought he should have been there.  A good crowd (the H-J reported as 200) showed up. 

Edited November 7, 2017 by roads-scholar

[westsider28 1014]

The Mayor's race is going to a runoff (on Nov. 21).  Junie White didn't quite get 50% of the vote (White - 2,853; Horne - 2,196; Whitner - 778).  White will likely win the runoff.  Erica Brown (yay!) and Jerome Rice both held their Council seats.

Edited November 8, 2017 by westsider28

[Spartan 1523]

I'm glad Erica Brown held on. I was concerned about Dogan making a comeback.

[drexel 21]

23 hours ago, westsider28 said:

The Mayor's race is going to a runoff (on Nov. 21).  Junie White didn't quite get 50% of the vote (White - 2,853; Horne - 2,196; Whitner - 778).  White will likely win the runoff.  Erica Brown (yay!) and Jerome Rice both held their Council seats.

I would like to see Horne on City Council for at least one term before he is mayor.  

[Spartan 1523]

So this is really more about County Council.... but I didn't realize Linda Dogan had been elected to County Council but i was still pleasantly surprised to see her defeated in the primary. 

https://www.goupstate.com/news/20200623/abusaft-defeats-dogan-mccorkle-beats-farr-for-spartanburg-county-council-seats

[Historyguy 73]

Well, Dogan placed first in the primary 2 weeks ago, a little surprisingly, but I don't think she had any organization or money.  She got about 60 more votes than the second place guy, but didn't have any way to get her voters to come back out for the runoff.  You have to get 50% to win the nomination - which it's debatable whether that's a good thing or not.  I suspect a lot of folks thought she had won and thus didn't come back out two weeks later.  This was to fill County Councilman Michael Brown's seat, as he chose not to seek reelection.  The general election in November will formalize all of this...    So, there'll be 3 new members on county council next January, as Roger Nutt from council district 6 won his primary for state house of representatives district 34, and will vacate his seat, triggering a special election at some point for that seat.