Charleston County Council 2024 Candidates

County Council makes policy decisions for Charleston County, as established in state law. Council’s nine members serve four-year staggered terms and are elected from single member districts. Council members serve on a part-time basis and each member receives an annual salary.

Q:Charleston Animal Society has saved the County tens of millions of dollars by making it possible for the County to avoid having to build and operate multiple animal shelters by implementing a high-volume community spay/neuter strategy. However, this is not enough without public policy to increase participation. Will you support the mandatory spay/neuter of Pit Bull type dogs (the most prevalent type of dog entering South Carolina shelters), similar to Beaufort County’s mandatory Pit Bull spay/neuter requirement, with mechanisms in place to ensure there is no significant financial hardship to the owners? If not, how would you address the continuing issue of inadequate animal sheltering infrastructure for this community?

HAYDEN W. SEIGNIOUS (R)

District 3 Candidate: I agree that it is an issue that one dog breed makes up over 40% of dog populations in our shelters. However, I do not agree that there is a single solution to this problem. As a Councilman for Charleston County, I will work with the Charleston Animal Society and the citizens of our County to work on a multi-pronged approach that will not take the rights away from law abiding dog owners, nor call for the euthanasia of healthy and adoptable dogs. As a lifelong dog owner, I deeply value the role pets play in our lives, and I am passionate about ensuring their well-being.

SYDNEY VAN BULCK (D)

District 7 Candidate: Two years ago, I fell in love with a King Corso/ Pit mix, whom a colleague found abandoned. After convincing my boss to adopt her, I quickly realized how much joy she would bring into our lives. Roxie is my constant companion at work, and I cannot imagine her life in a shelter, unaware of the love that we have for her. Pit Bulls, often misunderstood and hard to place, make up a larger percentage of shelter dogs. I fully support spaying and neutering as a way to prevent dogs like Roxie from spending their lives in shelters. Additionally, we must financially support shelters like Charleston Animal Society to ensure that they have the resources needed to operate effectively.

CANDIDATES WHO DECLINED TO ANSWER

Rob Wehrman (D) Incumbent District 3

Henry Darby (D) Incumbent District 4

Kylon Middleton (D) Incumbent District 6

Brantley Moody (R) Incumbent District 7