Govan asks Orangeburg City Council to join redistricting lawsuit

Govan has been publicly opposed to the S.C. House remapping plan, noting it fractures Orangeburg county and city’s community of interest and weakens city and county interests being heard in Columbia.

The remapping plan also moved Govan out of District 95 and has placed him in District 93 with incumbent Democratic Rep. Russell Ott. That could mean Govan and Ott will face each other in the 2022 Democratic primary.

“I would humbly and respectfully ask you that you consider joining us in that fight,” Govan said to council members. “They can talk about how important it was to keep Beaufort County together, then there is no reason they should have done Orangeburg the way they did us.”

An amicus brief allows third parties to enter a lawsuit to express their concerns.

“The window is very close,” Govan said. “A number of us are planning to move in that direction so we can have input in this process before it is heard before the court.”

Orangeburg Mayor Butler said, “We are in the fight and we will talk among ourselves to see how we can further this.”

“It is so important that we are kept in the loop here because the funds that come down will be spread around to all of us instead of going to one or two areas,” Councilwoman Liz Zimmerman Keitt  said. “As it stands now, we will not have the representation in the City of Orangeburg that we can count on someone to give us what we deserve.”

Both the S.C. House and S.C. Senate have approved redistricting maps for both bodies and the maps have been signed into law by Gov. Henry McMaster.

The law has been legally challenged by the South Carolina branches of the NAACP; the NAACP Legal Defense Fund; the national American Civil Liberties Union and the ACLU of South Carolina, as well as private entities.

The lawsuit is pending.

Govan says he anticipates additional legal challenges when South Carolina congressional districts are finalized.

Govan noted the remapping plan means Orangeburg and its suburbs will now have representation from a resident outside the county and says the weakened representation comes during a crucial time of state COVID and federal funding opportunities.

“Our delegation believes that it has done it right,” Govan said. “We want to make sure this area of the state is not left behind in economic development but we also prosper.”

Both Orangeburg city and county councils have gone on record opposed to the House remapping plan. Govan noted despite the opposition to the plan publicly presented to redistricting officials, the maps went through.

Govan said the lawsuit is scheduled to be heard by district and appellate courts in the latter part of February or early part of March.

Govan said 28 areas of the state could be impacted by the lawsuit, including Orangeburg, according to plaintiffs.

“This is not just a city issue,” Govan said. “It destroys a community of interest that has existed for nearly 50 years.”

Govan said Orangeburg has been divided into a pie chart. 

“Your representation will be coming from Bamberg County and Barnwell County and Calhoun County,” he said, noting a portion of Democratic Rep. Gilda Cobb-Hunter’s district does pick up a small portion of the city.

“The rest would be represented by outside interests,” he said.

In other matters, council was informed a new sign is scheduled to be installed at the main entrance of the Magnolia Village recreational complex on North Road in coming weeks.

The sign will have a running message board to help promote the various events going on at the recreational complex. The sign will also be used to advertise the on-site veterans clinic that has been under construction and any other future tenants to the property.

“Our recreational complex on North Road is quickly becoming a crown jewel for the city,” City Administrator Sidney Evering said. “We have received a lot of compliments from folks all over the Southeast who come to visit to play baseball Dixie Youth tournaments and things of that nature.”

Evering said the signage will add to the “crown jewel” that is the complex.

“It will not only provide adequate information for our complex but for that area in general,” Evering said.

The sign was contracted to Charleston-based RSH Sign Group.

Magnolia Village Partners, the private landowner of the property, contributed to the sign’s cost, said John Singh, assistant city administrator.

The cost of the sign is about $89,000.

It was also announced that a plaque would be placed at the recreational complex in honor of City Council members who were serving at the time of the park’s construction and opening. The plaque likely would be placed at the complex in the spring.

In other business, council:

• Gave unanimous third reading to an amendment that will enhance buffering between commercial and residential properties in the future.
• Unanimously approved a resolution to support the Municipal Association 2021-22 Legislative Advocacy Initiatives.

Some of the initiatives supported by the association are the importance of maintaining local government authority or home rule; annexation; making sure governments are fully funded to implement state mandates.

• Approved a proclamation naming Jan. 16 as South Carolina State University MEAC Regional & Celebration Bowl Day.

The proclamation was in honor of SCSU’s winning their fifth HBCU national championship in the 2021 Cricket Celebration Bowl.

• Reappointed Phyllis Pelzer District 3; Kevin Bell, District 5; and Col. Richard Leonard At-Large to the city’s Aviation Commission.
• Reappointed Guy Best, District 1; Paula Payton, District 3; Jeanna Reynolds, District 5; and Shirlan Moseley-Jenkins, At-Large to the city’s Planning Commission.
• Reappointed George “Lucky” Buck, District 1; Elaine Wright, District 3; Willie Brown, District 5; and LaNard Huggins, At-Large to the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
• Reappointed alternates Linton Davis and Michael Stroman to the city’s Building Board of Appeals.

All the terms are for four years.

• Approved a proclamation honoring Orangeburg Orthodox Baptist Association Moderator the Rev. Lonnie Robinson III for his 24 years of service as a moderator for the OOBA. The day was named in honor of Robinson.
• Recognized Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities employee Kenneth A. Gibson for his 32-1/2 years of service to the department. Gibson retired Jan. 14 as a lineman with the utility.
• Went into closed session to discuss personnel matters related to the city’s finance department and performance evaluation of municipal judge.

Council also discussed the compensation of new city attorney Michael Kozlarek of Greenville-based Kozlarek Law LLC 

There was no discussion and no votes taken on the matters in open session.