'I'M SORRY' What Is Going On In Mount Pleasant?

Mount Pleasant's Mayor drops a Patriots Point proposed sales tax increase, with a public apology. Here's Town Council member John Iacofano's take in an indepth sit down - powered by Disaster Plus

Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
If they're looking for a head on a platter, I'm
offering mine, and the one percent tax is off the table,
either by voter, council or by referendum.

Speaker 2 (00:11):
This is the Kelly Golden Show podcast powered by Disaster
Plus on a Big Fail Friday.

Speaker 1 (00:19):
As a leader of the Town of Mount Pleasant, I
come before you today to take full responsibility for the
shortcomings and the bad optics of the rollout of the
plan the town is considering for the Patriots Point district
and to ask for your forgiveness. I'm also announcing that
the controversial funding mechanism, the one percent retail sales tax,

(00:39):
will not be considered and that idea will be dropped completely,
including any discussion about a referendum, since that tax will
not be used regardless.

Speaker 3 (00:50):
So addressing the Mayor of Mount Pleasant, Will Haiti's public
apology this week with town Countsman John Aikofano, this Patriots
Point proposed sales secrease, It's dropped. But let's start with
the optics on this. Catch us up to speed, John,
Good morning.

Speaker 4 (01:05):
The optics are bad. I mean I don't know how
bad the optics are, meaning we need to talk to
the cvb CFC Charleston Battery the Medal of Honor Museum
Leadership Center, because most of us that I'm aware of
on council were not in meetings with them. I was not,
and other council members were not either. The mayor mentions

(01:26):
that counsel the other night. These are private discussions and
you can't give personal information out on leases and things
like that. But that's okay. I understand that that's what
executive session is for.

Speaker 3 (01:37):
The people are saying a bypass ordinance protocol by going
straight to council that it's smacks of speaking of objects
the dark, backroom dealings, not involving the public in the
historical process.

Speaker 4 (01:48):
I would agree with that. I think staff does a
great job at the town, and I think you actually
have to try to get them to not go down
the right path. The right path is simple and they
don't know it any really any other way. It's to
go to commission with a public hearing, and then it
goes to committee. Much the planning committee is made up

(02:09):
of four council members. A lot of times they don't
even know what's coming to them. Plenty of people come
in and apply for things at the town, so it
goes to the commission with a public hearing and then
it goes to committee and then you start to look
at things. That's the process. So when they state that
the first reading on council is to introduce it to

(02:29):
the public, yes, but it should have been vetted through
the committee and the commission workflow, if you will process,
I don't think went through the proper process. I asked
that council for a timeline of events. I asked that
the mayor give us those timeline events when information was available.
Was I shown this conceptual drawing? Yeah, I was shown

(02:51):
a conceptual drawing. It was on August eighth. It was
myself and the town administrator that was it. It was
a conceptual drawing. And will be bringing this to council? Okay, well,
and this will be bringing it to council, should go
through commission and committee, end of discussion. It's been that
way for every other thing that I know of, and

(03:12):
there's plenty of times we go to executive session to
discuss not only that, but commission can go to executive session.
Committee can go to executive session to discuss those contractual
things that cannot be shared with the public at the time.
If that makes sense somebody's personal leaf or things of
that sort.

Speaker 3 (03:29):
So Counselman John Akafano, Town of Mount Pleasant here, this
would have, if actually passed me Mount Pleasant the highest
paying tax district in the state of South Carolina. That's
at least what's being reported now. I see where you
know you had the council actually voting unanimously to passes
approve a first reading of this tourism development fee they're

(03:53):
calling it or one cent retail sales stax in the area.
I see you were away what I personal business, But
how would you have voted.

Speaker 4 (04:02):
When it came to this kind of tax We needed
to be more transparent. I would have been a no vote.
What makes you even a firmer no vote is when
the DNR came in and spoke at public comment, that stakeholder,
to my knowledge, was not brought to the table, and
you're talking about building a parking garage and a conference

(04:27):
center on what the DNR has a conservation easement on
the first time I've been told that they were able
to speak on this was public comment and they found
out last minute.

Speaker 3 (04:39):
Wow. So you have big public apology from the mayors
saying if there's anyone to blame. It's me. We're taking
this off the table, this tax increase in the town.
But he says, next step sort of work backwards. There
won't be this referendum coming forward with this tax. I'm
just I mean, this would have included you know, and
now what I'm wondering and what does that mean working backwards.

Speaker 4 (05:01):
We're a board of directors on council and the talent
Mount Pleasant is about one hundred and ten million dollars
a year business and we're in the hospitality business. We
serve the citizens and we serve the businesses them Unpleasant.
We're hospitality. Our job is service. And I've asked this
many times. Why do we not have a quarterly meeting
with all council members And this is where a subject

(05:24):
like this can now be brought up, No votes to
be taken. We've done it before. We did it with
town Center. The directors of the departments for the town
come in so they can answer questions, stakeholders can come in.
Council is there, the public can be there. This is
an announced meeting, right, but it's a non voting meeting.
This is a discussion. Let's put things out there, let's

(05:47):
discuss things how can this be done? How can we
make this happen? The DNR should be part of that conversation.
Michael Bennett on state land that he leased a long
time ago. Is building across the street from this proposed
part lot and conference center? Why is he that part
of the discussion. You know, and I know people are
going to say he makes plenty of money. I understand,

(06:07):
but he's developing land across the street. If you're going
to have people involved, maybe he can be involved. Maybe
he makes a building a little bigger and can house
the conference center. Maybe he can make the parking lot
that he has a little bigger and not increase the
footprint at which this is done, but increase the availability
for it to be done, and be done without using

(06:31):
without using the citizens' money. If it's such a great project,
then how do we get private money involved in this?

Speaker 3 (06:40):
This is your suggestion on now what and where to go?
Next to me, that would be working forwards, not backwards.
I'm not sure what the mayor means with his words.
I'm working backwards on this.

Speaker 4 (06:50):
If he wants to work backwards, he could get that
timeline and full transparency I asked them for at the
Council meeting. I'll be happy to work backwards on that,
but we do need to heal the process forward. Getting
people at the table is forward progress, but you do
need to know what you did wrong to conclude that
healing right. I think the public deserves it well.

Speaker 3 (07:10):
We appreciate that. While we're on Mount Pleasant, catch the
Night Christmas Parade that's coming up this Sunday after sunset
and it will be streaming live on our sister station
Y one O two five.

Speaker 2 (07:22):
This Big Fail Friday edition of That Kelly Golden Show
podcast is powered by Disaster Plus

Speaker 1 (07:28):
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