Closing – Why This Matters
By Chase Smithwick
Mayor of Pelzer
Everything we’ve talked about tonight comes back to one simple idea.
Government exists to serve its people.,
That’s what I believe.
So let’s look at where Pelzer stands today.
Today, Pelzer is home to roughly 1,570 residents, living in approximately 730 households.
Our median household income is around $55,000, which is lower than Anderson County and the South Carolina average.
Roughly one in four of our residents lives below the poverty line-about 26%, compared to around 15% in Anderson County and about 14% statewide.
Our homes have an average value of around $170,000, lower than many neighboring communities.
We also know many of our homes are over one hundred years old. Some are beautifully restored. Others desperately need investment.
Educational attainment also tells us we have work to do. Many of our residents have a high school education, but we have fewer college graduates and technical certifications than many surrounding ‘communities.
Those aren’t criticisms. They’re opportunities.
Those numbers tell us exactly where we need to focus. That’s why we’re bringing free health clinics into town.
That’s why we’re partnering with Anderson School District One Adult Education. That’s why we’re working toward free OSHA classes …
ServSafe certifications … CPR training … Resume workshops … ESL classes… Financial literacy programs… Because every certification earned… Every better-paying job… Every healthier resident… Changes those statistics.
That’s why we’re investing in parks. That’s why we’re building recreation. That’s why we’re improving our downtown. Young families don’t move somewhere because the taxes are low. They move where they can picture raising their children. I want young families buying our historic mill houses. Restoring them. Taking pride in them. Giving those homes another hundred years of life. That’s how neighborhoods come back to life.
We’re also launching a community spay-and-neuter initiative with volunteers and local veterinarians.
It may seem like a small thing, but solving small problems before they become big problems is what good local government does.
Everything connects. Better parks lead to stronger families. Stronger families create a better workforce. A better workforce attracts businesses. Businesses create jobs. Jobs reduce poverty. Reduced poverty creates stronger neighborhoods.
That’s the cycle we’re trying to create here in Pelzer. We’re not just fixing buildings.
We’re building a future.
So after everything we’ve talked about tonight… The budgets. The audits. The grants. The parks. The roads. The river. The buildings. The statistics.
I want to leave you with one final thought. Why? Why am I so passionate about all of this?Because I truly believe government exists for one purpose… To serve its people.
Not to grow government. Not to make headlines. Not to chase politics. But to improve the lives of the people who call this place home.
Everything we’ve talked about tonight has one common goal. Improving quality of life.
I don’t care who gets the credit. I don’t care if my name is remembered.
What I care about is that twenty years from now, somebody’s child gets to grow up in a better Pelzer than I did.
That’s success.
When I first decided to run for mayor, people asked me why.
Why take on all the stress? Why spend countless nights in meetings? Why answer phone calls at eleven o’clock at night? Why deal with Facebook?
(Pause for laughter.)
The answer has always been simple. Because I love this town. This town helped raise me. It’s where I’m raising my son. It’s where my family lives.
And I believe Pelzer deserves every opportunity to succeed.
I don’t believe we’re supposed to settle for “good enough.”
I believe small towns can lead. I believe we can become an example for municipalities across South Carolina. I want people to say… “Have you seen what Pelzer is doing?”
Not because we have the biggest budget. Not because we have the biggest population. But because we have the biggest heart.
Because we’re willing to try new ideas. Because we’re willing to work together. Because we’re willing to dream bigger than people expect from a town our size.
My vision is simple. I want Pelzer to become the best small town in South Carolina. A town where young families choose to buy a home. A town where seniors can comfortably age in place.
A town where businesses want to invest. A town where children have safe parks to play. A town where our history is preserved instead of forgotten.
A town where our river is cleaner than we found it. A town where nature is protected. A town where entrepreneurs have a chance to succeed. A town where government earns the trust of its citizens every single day.
And most importantly… A town where people know their neighbors.
Because at the end of the day… That’s what Pelzer has always been about.
A good friend of mine once said during his State of the Town address,
“The best is yet to come.”
But when it comes to Pelzer, I see it a little differently. I believe the best is already here. The best has always been here. The best will always be here in Pelzer.
All we had to do was open the door and welcome it back. So… Welcome back, Pelzer.
I look forward to serving you for the next three and a half years—maybe even longer, if you’ll allow it.
I look forward to seeing all of us rise together and seeing Pelzer take its rightful place at the top.
God bless your families. Thank you all for coming. God bless the great State of South Carolina. God bless the United States of America. And most importantly… God bless Pelzer.
Thank you all.
