Stephens Aiming For Cates' County Council Seat

Scott Stephens doesn't take the position that Sid Cates, the Republican incumbent representing District 20 on the Greenville County Council has necessarily been doing a bad job. Stephens just thinks he could do it better.

"There are a few differences between Sid and I," Stephens told Patch. "I am a small business owner and I understand the struggles that businesses are having to endure during these tough economic times.  Excessive fees, taxes and regulations place a burden on the business owner that cause he or she to have to decide between providing jobs and growing their business or just maintaining and surviving."

Cates, who has been on the council since 2007, comes from an educational background, having been the Principal of Bob Jones Academy in Greenville.

When it comes to governance, there are often too many people who use their peripheral knowledge of the business world to influence public policy, Stephens said. What the people of the district need, he added, is the representation of someone who knows about economic development at a personal level, and not a theoretical one.

"I've seen too many friends lose their businesses because their elected officials make policy that affects their ability to sustain their business. Many of our elected officials that champion 'economic development' have never had to struggle to make a payroll."

Stephens, a native of Greenville, is the owner of Camille’s Sidewalk Café and is the director of advancement for Piedmont Women’s Center. He is a graduate of the University of South Carolina Upstate with a bachelor’s degree in public administration and has earned a master’s degree in counseling from Trinity Seminary.

It's his non-profit background, Stephens said, that could allow him to help the county by doing away with duplication of services by allowing non-profits to provide necessary services and reducing costs, thereby reducing the public's tax burden.

"The biggest change I plan to bring to our district is activity," Stephens said. "We need elected officials that represent all of the residents of the district. Our elected officials need to be active all of the time - not just at election time."

Note: In the weeks leading up to the June primary, Patch will continue to seek out interviews with the candidates in these races to allow them to express their positions on the issues that matter to the voters.