April 23, 2017HERE IS MY LETTER:
Brian Tucker
Director Economic Development for Georgetown County
716 Prince Street
Georgetown, SC 29440
Mr. Tucker,
I am a resident of Wedgefield Plantation Association writing to you
regarding the possible purchase by the county of the Wedgefield Golf Course. Many residents are concerned about the
ramifications of such a purchase to our association, and require open
communication regarding the facts – costs, plans, etc., before we can be asked
whether we endorse, or reject it.
The only information about the county’s possible purchase comes from a WPA
board that many of us do not trust. The
county, real estate agent, a couple of WPA board members, and a few select
residents have met and determined the next move – a petition. It appears that a talking points position
paper has been put together to go door to door to SOME – NOT ALL property
owners with a petition. We are told that
the county has requested the petition to determine whether there is enough
interest by residents to support a special tax referendum. How could the county trust the results of
such a poorly constructed process?
Mr. Tucker, I am writing to request that the county schedule a meeting,
invite all Wedgefield property owners, and provide everyone an opportunity to hear
first hand exactly what the county has to say, and what you need to know from
us to make a good decision for all parties concerned. Certainly, Georgetown County would want
concrete information before you can make a decision, and you’ll understand that
as residents, we require sound concrete information before we can begin to
determine whether we would put any kind of answer – “yes” or “no” on a
petition.
Your current plan to petition puts the county, in the same light as the
WPA board – suspicious. That opinion is not just mine. For 5 years, I have written a blog about our
Wedgefield governance. It has a great
following. The Wedgefield Examiner has
had almost 70,000 visits to the blog.
The statistic that may be important to you, and this issue, is that
after the WPA Board Meeting on April 18th, when our board discussed
a recent meeting with you and the petition, I had just over 1,000 visits to the
blog in a little over 24 hours.
Additionally, The Wedgefield Examiner has printed letters and comments
regarding the board, the county, and the golf course. The comments, and letters are not
complimentary to the closed process.
Mr. Tucker, please consider finding a county facility big enough to
accommodate Wedgefield residents, and invite us ALL to get complete, direct
information from the county, ask our questions, and provide a petition at that
meeting, for us to sign, or not. Right
now, it appears that you, and the board many distrust, are not real interested
in treating us openly, and honestly.
Thank you,
Madeline Y. Claveloux
