‘He’s not wrong.’ Jasper County councilman says he won’t resign over residency issue
A Jasper County councilman whose eligibility has been questioned because of his residency said he will not resign, and some residents say he should be allowed to complete his term.
That question has loomed over the council in the weeks since a “residency oversight” was discovered during a redistricting discussion. Currently, three members are living in the same district — one more than legally allowed — because Councilman Alvin Adkins lives in the Coosawhatchie District but was elected to represent the Pocotaligo District.
The county previously said it does not believe Adkins was qualified to run in the Pocotaligo District in 2020, but that Adkins will continue to serve until he resigns or is removed through a legal process.
Just hours before Monday’s regularly scheduled council meeting, which included “election matters” on the agenda and multiple public comments, the county sent a news release saying Adkins would not be relinquishing his seat.
“I am disappointed by the attempts to pressure me to resign, but I have no intention of stepping down from the position I was duly elected to serve,” Adkins said in the release. “My sole focus is to continue to improve upon the great strides we have made together and the issues that impact the people of Jasper County, rather than challenging the results of a fair election.”
Adkins retained legal representation with Cavanaugh & Thickens, LLC, according to the release, to “ensure that (his) rights and those of who voted for (him) are protected.”
During Monday’s meeting, the council also voted to obtain legal representation. Adkins abstained from the vote while members Barbara Clark, Marty Sauls, Curtis Brantley, and John Kemp voted in favor.
“This is uncharted territory for everyone on this council,” Sauls said before the vote. “It’s a new experience, one that we’ve never been associated with so we are looking to follow the law and make sure we’re not only protecting the council but also all members involved in this action.”
‘Got to figure it out’
Four residents spoke on the issue during the public comment section, including a former county Election Board member, former elected officials, and the Jasper County Republican Party chairperson.
First to speak was the Rev. Donald Sheffield, who previously served on the Jasper County Election Board.
“The issue with Councilman Adkins could easily repeat itself and there’s nothing legally we can do about it,” Sheffield said, saying because each council member is voted on at-large that anyone who lives within the county can run outside their district.
“We’ve been doing it wrong in Jasper County for many years,” he said. “...“No other county in the state is doing it the way Jasper is doing it.”
Next, GOP party chairperson Karen Wyld said “at the very least, I believe Mr. Adkins should recuse himself from any votes in which he has a self interest.”
Former Jasper County School Board member Alina Hamilton-Clark said the council needs to fix the issue but allow Adkins to finish his term.
“We the people have spoken through the election for him to come and represent us as our representative and for this to have even gotten to this point is appalling to the people,” she said. “He’s not wrong. The council is wrong. The election board is wrong. You need to fix it the next round because we the people have spoken this round.”
Former Jasper County Council member the Rev. Samuel Gregory echoed Hamilton-Clark, saying the issue needs to be resolved for the next election but Adkins should be allowed to finish his term. He said residents will “boycott” if not.
“I’ve always said the way we vote in Jasper County is always wrong,” Gregory said. “.... It never made sense and it don’t make no sense today. None of you have the right to ask (Adkins) to step down because he was voted on by the people. We’re the law. We voted. We made that decision and we’re going to stand by him until the end.”
The residents who spoke at the meeting called for the county to change to single-district voting.
“Sometimes you’re preaching to the choir,” council Chairwoman Barbara Clark said, eliciting a couple chuckles from the crowd. “We’re going to move right along.”
Adkins’ residency issue was brought up again during a review of redistricting maps. Residents at the meeting asked questions from the crowd.
Clark broke in.
“The people elected Councilman Adkins,” she said. “The people elected him and we are sorry to see what has taken place, at least I am, but we’ve got to fix it and we’ve got to get it right.”
She said everyone is not going to like the decision but the council is “trying to make the best decision there is. We’ve got to figure it out, but in the meantime we have to pass a map.”
This story was originally published February 8, 2022 at 2:46 PM.
