After interviewing Cayce Mayor Elise Partin the other day, I had intended to attend her campaign kickoff on Saturday, but family business took me out of town.

But here’s a release about what I missed:

[Cayce, SC]     A crowd of Cayce residents gathered today in front of the Cayce Municipal Complex to hear their Mayor, Elise Partin, declare her intentions to run for re-election this November in the General Election. “Working together, we have already made Cayce a better place to live. Just imagine all we can achieve if we have four more years,” Partin said.

Partin, who was elected 18 months ago to fill an unexpired term, campaigned on a platform of open communications, empowered citizens, transparency in decision-making, and strengthening Cayce’s infrastructure. “Significant strides have been made to improve communications in Cayce between citizens and city government,” she said.

Partin pointed out that Cayce citizens have enhanced two-way communication with City Hall, including monthly Neighborhood Council meetings that have expanded communications among neighborhoods, city government and crime watch leaders. Also, those with internet access now receive an e-newsletter that provides more real-time information between quarterly newsletters.

Other major improvements include:

• an open legislative process that allows the public to make comments on issues prior to votes.
• more transparency for the city’s finances so that citizens better understand Cayce’s short and long term obligations, capital plans and other related issues.
• a monthly “Meet with the Mayor” session, when anyone can address Cayce-related issues directly with Mayor Partin – without filters or misinterpretations.

She said that making the city more attractive to its residents, and to those who might be considering Cayce as a site for new businesses, is a priority that intersects with redevelopment and quality of life initiatives. “That’s why we established our Beautification Foundation, a 501(c)(3) entity set up to raise funds for beautification projects throughout the city,” she said. “We’re also taking a number of other
thrifty but beneficial steps – a graduate class at the university is designing, pro bono, Burnett Park off of Julius Felder Street and we salvaged trees displaced in another project and replanted them in our city parks.”

Mayor Partin said she has a vision of what can be done in the coming years to make Cayce even better. “Actually, it’s more than a vision – I know specific, concrete actions that can make Cayce one of the best places in the state to live, raise a family, grow a business,” she said.
Her plans include:

• Improved storm water drainage
• Continued improvement of neighborhoods – code enforcement, safe walkways/bikeways, improved parks, clean water.
• Working with surrounding communities to keep our water systems and river clean and healthy for our water consumption, recreation, health and tourism needs.
• Addressing efforts to create more jobs and the use of local contractors when practical

Partin pledged to continue implementing the master plan for critical improvements to the community, created by residents and businesses last spring in the charrette process. “We worked together to design a roadmap for new initiatives that would help us recruit new businesses, complete already started projects and do even more to beautify our city,” she said. “In addition, we received a state energy grant, have pressed for a plan to address water and sewer rehab needs and we have created a collaboration with Springdale, West Columbia and Lexington County to address the need to substantially  improve the airport corridor – a major gateway for the Midlands.”

Elise Partin, an Adjunct Professor in the Norman J. Arnold School of Public Health at USC, is married to Gene Partin, Project Manager with Terracon. They have two children and have called Cayce home for more than 17 years. For the full text of Partin’s speech, visit her website: www.elisepartin.com.

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For whatever reason, that link in the release doesn’t seem to be working. But if you want to read the text of her speech, click here.