The city of Simpsonville will have three new City Council members sworn in on January 9th, 2024.

Tim Pinkerton and Shannon Williams were elected on November 7. Williams was unopposed but her name was placed on the ballot according to state law.  Chad O’Rear won a seat on council by defeating Erin Medlin in a run-off on November 21.

We asked the newly elected candidates to share their thoughts with our readers. Chad O’Rear and Tim Pinkerton responded with comments below. Shannon Williams did not respond to our offer and was not included in this article.

We at the Sentinel have high hopes that this new slate of Council members will pave the way for more communication with the citizens, and encourage an active participation in city government. Our offer to provide  an avenue to share council business has always been available. I hope these new council members take advantage of this opportunity.

In the spring of this year, I decided to run for Simpsonville City Council. So, on July 15th I went to City Hall and registered to run for City Council Simpsonville Ward 1. I immediately began investing in a campaign with a website, signs etc., enlisted help from friends and volunteers to get the ball rolling. But that ball came to a halt shortly after when I received a call from the city that I was actually in Ward 5. Well, there is a story here and I will get to that, but this did not deter me from running. Had to change a few things and off we go. Three months later, on November 7, 2023, I was elected to represent the city as representee of Ward 5.

Now about the Wards. Simpsonville is divided geographically into six wards and adjusted by census occasionally and recently by census 2020. Simpsonville’s Wards changed, and in my case split my street down the middle and affected around twenty-four residences out of about 320 homes in the Poinsettia neighborhood. Make sense? No, but regardless as an elected councilman in open elections as we have, I represent all the citizens of Simpsonville. 

One of my initial thoughts on running was I felt as a neighborhood we were not well represented, and I wanted to be our voice in City Hall. But I also was and still am concerned about the unbridled growth we are experiencing and its effects on our infrastructure. The growth and infrastructure issues are shared by many, and my goal is to provide a common-sense approach to decisions made by the City Council. As a councilman my ideas about growth may differ than others on the Council at times but I will stay true to my convictions and will share my decisions openly. Afterall, the Council represents the Citizens not the Council or special interests.

Open communication is a key to providing the citizens with information and should be a part of the mindset of the entire Simpsonville City Council, Boards and Commissions. And as citizens the onus is on all of us to stay informed of the actions of your government in whatever form, City, State or Federal. That starts with this column and perhaps many more to come. Let’s stay informed together. 

I want to express my sincere thanks to those special people that helped me be elected and especially to my wife Tracie who supported me all the way. We now have a lot of work to do starting in January 2024. 

Tim Pinkerton - Councilman Ward 5 

Thank you to the voters of the City of Simpsonville! I am truly honored to represent you as the Councilman in Ward 1. I was born in Greenville and spent all of my formative years in Simpsonville. I have the best memories of my childhood as I grew up in the Poinsettia neighborhood with my now late parents, and my two brothers. I made more friends than I can count and have been blessed to maintain many lifelong friendships. Those of us that have been around our great city for decades remember how much slower things used to be in Simpsonville. Growth has exploded as our state has become a destination for many people who are relocating for what we all know is a great place to live. As a city government we need to assure that our infrastructure and traffic flow keep pace with the growth in both population and industry. I will work to make sure that happens! I have always tried to treat people the way I would like to be treated in everything I do. It is very important as a city government, and Councilman, to be accessible to all city residents. Open communication and dialogue are what we should strive to have in the matters that affect our city. That doesn’t mean that people have to agree all the time, but it does mean that our discourse can be civil, and we can do our best to find the optimal solution for Simpsonville. I was raised to be very transparent and honest with people and I promise to continue what my parents taught me as I fulfill my duties as a Simpsonville City Councilman. I realize everyone in Simpsonville did not vote for me. That doesn’t matter at all as I intend to make decisions that will be of benefit to the city as a whole. I have a lifetime of being a “team player” and will work in tandem with the Council and city administration to continue all of the good things that are happening for us right now. I will do this while maintaining an independent voice on the Council for my fellow residents of Ward 1. I look forward to working with the Mayor, other members of the Council, and the city administration over the next four years but I especially look forward to working FOR the citizens of Simpsonville both old and new!■