RINCON — Two fresh political faces hope voters are eager for a fresh perspective on government affairs in Rincon.
Political newcomers Kevin Exley and Patrick Kirkland are seeking seats on the Rincon City Council. They are among six candidates vying for three openings.
The field also includes Eric Brierton, Ann Daniel, Levi Scott Jr. and Jerome Erwin. Daniel and Scott Jr. are incumbents.
The top three vote-getters on Nov. 7 will take office in January 2018.
Neither Exley, a Waste Pro executive and owner of Elite Sports Academy, nor Kirkland, a retired U.S. Navy senior chief, have an ax to grind with the council. They are just eager to help guide the city.
“A lot of people asked me to get involved in this thing,” Exley said. “They said, ‘You have good business ideas’ and “You are a good worker.’ I just started praying about it and decided that it is something I needed to do.”
Kirkland expressed a similar sentiment.
“I don’t want to put the illusion out there that the council is not doing its job because I think it is,” he said. “I just think it needs a little extra insight and there needs to be a little change so that they can see there are other options out there besides the way things have been done the last several years.”
Exley and Kirkland have experienced living in other cities. Kirkland literally circled the globe in his 22 years of military service and Exley returned to Rincon six years ago after working in another area for nearly two decades.
Both concur that Rincon is a fine place to live and raise a family. That is why they want to attract more family-friendly businesses to the city.
See the Oct. 25 edition of the Effingham Herald for more details.