Howard Chalmers for Mount Pleasant Town Council » Issues

My Philosophy

Howard — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:18:13 +0000

As a member of Mount Pleasant Town Council, I will be guided by my personal commitments to

* Limited government,
* Fiscal responsibility, and
* Good stewardship of our historical, cultural, and natural resources.

It is my belief that good government begins at the local level, and the decisions made by Town Council affect all of us on a daily basis.

My Priorities

Howard — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:53:47 +0000

Above all, we must maintain our commitment to high quality Police and Fire Departments to keep our community safe. We must also examine every project to understand not only the immediate cost, but the long term operational and maintenance cost as well. In light of those two overarching themes, I have three priorities:

Encourage responsible economic and community development
Reduce traffic congestion
Keep focus on the decisions made by CCSD that affect our schools

Wando Principal Lucy Beckham named Principal of the Year!

Howard — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 18:02:32 +0000

Everyone in Mount Pleasant knows that we have excellent schools. It’s true from Laurel Hill Primary, where my oldest son is in 1st grade, all the way to Wando High School. And Wando’s principal, Lucy Beckham, was recognized this morning as the National Secondary Principal of the Year by the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP). Ms. Beckham managed the transition to the new Wando campus and has made it her primary goal to recruit and retain excellent teachers for her students.

Now, it’s true that our schools operate under the auspices of the Charleston County School District, but let’s not kid ourselves: we have high quality education because Mount Pleasant parents are involved. I am proud to live in Mount Pleasant, and I will work to ensure that we continue to have high quality education for our children. I want to see the Blue Ribbon Committee on School Accountability recommissioned by Town Council to ensure that a group of involved and concerned parents, educators, and community leaders understand the issues facing schools in Mount Pleasant and have an opportunity to affect change at the School District level.

Congratulations to Ms. Beckham, the supporting administrators and teachers, and the students at Wando for this outstanding honor. Keep up the great work.

Read the article in the Moultrie News here

I am proud to live in Mount Pleasant, and I will work to ensure that we continue to have high quality education for our children.

Mount Pleasant should capitalize on Charleston’s rank as #2 “Next Cities”

Howard — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:01:27 +0000

Charleston has been ranked #2 in a list of top cities for young professionals. Based on the factors listed in this study, we should see an influx of creative, energetic individuals that need a place to live, work, and play. As we plan for the future of Mount Pleasant, we need to consider the factors that bring talented knowledge workers into a community and understand how Mount Pleasant can meet those needs. Traffic, recreation, the health of the community, and other quality of life issues are as important as earning potential.

We also need to understand that some of the young professionals who want to move here are graduates of Wando High School that left Mount Pleasant to attend college. As a member of Town Council, I will work to build a community that will provide opportunities for them to come home!