WHAT I’VE DONE

 

I have had the honor of serving as your Country Treasurer for the past six and a half years. After being sworn in on July 1st, 2017, I wasted no time and got right to work. I brought about the Advance Tax Installment Plan with unanimous support from Charleston County Council and changed the receipt format, offering taxpayers a way to provide feedback or suggestions. I installed credit and debit card readers at the counters and negotiated to provide online and over-the-phone payment options to taxpayers--including e-checks, with no additional fees.

 

In 2020, the Treasurer’s Office begin to issue motor vehicle decals at the counter saving citizens a trip to the DMV. Even during the height of COVID, my team and I brought new programs to our county without skipping a beat. 

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I have built an outreach program, participating in numerous educational events across the county--whether they be churches, senior centers, expos, neighborhood association meetings, round table discussions or radio talk shows. You'll also frequently find my team and me volunteering a Saturday morning at the Lowcountry Food Bank, on a beach sweep, planting a garden at DNR or building homes with Habitat for Humanity. 

 

For the entire state of South Carolina, I helped initiate H3630, a joint resolution that provided support to federal employees who had been furloughed with unanimous support in the House and Senate.  Along with members of the Charleston delegation, I also helped to initiate H3482, providing County Treasurers, statewide, with flexibility in the administration of the Advance Tax Installment Plan. This bill was also unanimously passed in both the House and Senate.  

 

I currently serve as the President of the South Carolina Association of Auditors, Treasurers and Tax Collectors and I am on the Executive Board for the National Association of County Collectors, Treasurers and Finance Officers and on the Board for the National Association of Counties. These roles ensure that Charleston County taxpayers have a strong voice at both the state and national levels. 

 

Before my time serving as County Treasurer, I had the privilege of serving in the South Carolina House of Representatives.

 

In Columbia, I worked with Democrats and Republicans to balance our state’s budget, pass tough criminal domestic violence reform, give our teachers a pay raise,  and bring thousands of manufacturing jobs to the Charleston area – all without raising taxes.

 

Yet, as the daughter of a former city councilman, I know the local level is where some of the most important decisions are made for our communities.

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I have worked tirelessly to try to modernize the county treasurer’s office by streamlining services, cutting out waste, and making sure we’re spending taxpayer money as efficiently as possible. I know my job is not yet done, but I’m proud of the progress we’ve made in the past six and a half years.

 

WHAT’S TO COME

 

Now more than ever, it’s crucial that we support good local government and advocates fighting for needed reforms.

 

I’ll continue to be an advocate for taxpayers and invest the county’s money wisely and responsibly. Charleston deserves a full-time treasurer who puts taxpayers first and politics last.

 

That’s my promise to you. And if you’re ready to continue on our path to modernization for Charleston County, I ask you to join our team.