11 apply for area DOT job in panel

Posted on January 3, 2008 
Filed Under News

Appointee can push priorities of local roadways

Eleven people filed to run for the 1st Congressional District seat on the state Department of Transportation Commission, including Horry County businessman Danny Isaac and incumbent Joe Young of Georgetown.

But the other candidates are from the Charleston area, complicating Horry County leaders’ attempts to get Isaac appointed to the board, and Young’s attempts to be re-elected.

Filing for the upcoming vacancy closed at noon Friday.

The commission is unpaid but highly attractive because members set priorities for construction on major projects and decide how state road money will be spent.

Young, who owns a trucking and logging company, was chosen in March to fill an unexpired term. The law at the time made it either Georgetown County’s or Berkeley County’s turn to have a seat on the commission, though Horry County legislators pushed to get Isaac appointed anyway.

Horry County would come after Georgetown or Berkeley County had a commissioner.

The law on commission appointments changed in June with passage of a DOT reform bill that takes away some of the freedom legislators had to name highway commissioners.

Candidates now must meet requirements such as education and experience related to transportation, and must be approved by a screening committee.

The candidates cannot seek commitments for votes from legislators until they have passed screening, and lawmakers are forbidden to promise their votes to anyone until then.

After the screening is complete, the review panel will hold a public hearing on the candidates’ qualifications where the candidates may speak or people may speak for or against them.

The 1st District candidates include Jim Rozier, former Berkeley County supervisor. Berkeley County legislators tried to have him appointed in the spring to the vacancy that Young took over.

Other candidates include a funeral director, a lawyer who specializes in drunken driving cases and a defense facilities finance officer.

Applications also were open for the 3rd and 5th Congressional District seats on the highway commission, but only four people applied for each of those.

State Rep. Thad Viers, R-Myrtle Beach, said he thinks the high number of candidates from the Charleston area will dilute the vote of legislators from that area while Horry County will stick together and elect Isaac.

“I think we’re going to be in a strong position, I really do,” Viers said.

Some of the 11 candidates could fail to pass the screening panel, based on their qualifications, he also said.

“We have a strong, exceptional candidate with Danny Isaac,” Viers said.

Isaac is a partner in A&I Fire and Water Restoration and has long been active in community affairs. He is a former chairman of the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.

Isaac’s partner, Billy Alford, also served on the DOT Commission.

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At a glance
Candidates for 1st Congressional District Department of Transportation Commission seat:

Joe Young | Georgetown, incumbent

Danny Isaac | Myrtle Beach

James Ronny Hill | Moncks Corner

Tara E. Welsh | Summerville

David W. Bunch | Awendaw

Larry W. McKeehan | Summerville

James H. Rozier Jr. | Moncks Corner

Charles L. Drayton | Moncks Corner

Reese I. Joye | Mount Pleasant

Thomas W. Byrd | Moncks Corner

Ken R. Willingham | Mount Pleasant

The Sun News
By Zane Wilson
12/22/07