BOWMAN, S.C. – Two candidates are running to fill the vacancy left by the June death of Bowman Mayor Zelda Pelzer, while four candidates are seeking the two town council seats in the Nov. 3 nonpartisan municipal election.

In a special election, Councilman Marion Glenn and political newcomer Jimmy Aimar are seeking the unexpired term of the mayor, whose four-year term ends in 2011. Glenn’s four-year council term also expires in 2011. If he is elected mayor, a special election will be necessary to fill his council seat.

In the race for council, incumbent Councilmen Paul Holt and David Stack are being challenged for new four-year terms by Patsy Rhett and Michael Void.

Bowman has a population of 1,198. Of the 686 registered voters, 463 are black and 223 are white.

Marion Glenn

A 19-year veteran of council, Glenn says his long tenure and first-hand experience provide good background and experience for the mayor’s office. Working on long- and short-term projects as well as with four different mayors, he says the council has “worked real close together.”

“The most recent project is a sewer grant. We need to get the grant completed,” said Glenn, noting that water expansion is also in the works. There’s also the town’s nature park that is about 75 percent completed and a streetscape project that’s ready for the groundwork.

If elected, Glenn says he’d work to “cut costs to control spending” and try to promote growth in the business community.

Because Bowman is so small, Glenn says an effort must be made to “partnership with other towns and the county to improve infrastructure and grow. We need to do 10-year projections so we know what direction we are going in. We’ve got a community center and a medical center at the old school. All of those things are taking shape and working well.”

“Our town needs a little uplift,” he said. “I’m a very community-minded person and very public.”

A native of Bowman, Glenn has an associate’s degree in automotive technology from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College. He is a supervisor with the South Carolina Department of Education, working in the maintenance of all buses in the three consolidated school districts.

Jimmy Aimar

Concern about crime in the town is what led him to seek his first political office, says Aimar, who serves on a local Crime Watch committee.

“I’d like to see our town become a lot better, like it was a while ago. There’s so much crime, no one feels safe,” he said. “We need to get more police officers in town where they’d be more noticeable.”

Aimar also cites concerns that there are not enough businesses in Bowman.

“There is no hardware store. You have to drive to Orangeburg or Charleston and St. George. We need more local businesses,” he said. “And, we need a cleanup downtown. Those dilapidated buildings look real bad.”

In addition, Aimar calls for improvements to the water and wastewater systems.

A native of the Four Holes community and a 17-year resident of Bowman, Aimar is a service engineer for a company that covers a three-state area. He has an associates degree in electronics from Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College.

Paul Holt

A veteran member of Bowman Town Council off and on for about 30 years, Holt says “everybody knows what I do.”

As a member of council, Holt says he has enjoyed his service as police commissioner for 10 to 15 years.

“I’m doing a job I’ve always had – trying to make a good police department,” he said. “I’d like to go on like I’m going. That’s all I can say.”

A native of Bowman and a high school graduate, Holt is a retired local businessman.

David Stack

On council since winning a special election in 2002, Stack cites his seven-year record of experience.

“Everything is running smoothly,” he said. “We’re working on the streetscape and renovating the downtown like Elloree has done. That will start in the next several weeks.”

If reelected, Stack says the “biggest thing I’d like to see is the attraction of more businesses.”

A native of Bowman and a high school graduate, Stack owns a local auto parts store.

Patsy Rhett

A close friend and classmate of the late mayor, Rhett says she decided to run for office after being active in the town, including service on the Election Commission.

“I had a vision,” she said. “I’d love to see our community come together. I’d love to see a place where our young people could go and have fun and not worry about anything happening to them. There’s not a lot to do. And, older folks could come together and do aerobics. All would be involved.”

Improvements in the police force and the renovation for the downtown area are areas she’d like to see addressed, Rhett says.

“I’d like to see vacant stores occupied and more jobs available for us,” she said. “A lot of work needs to be done. Hopefully, this is the time to get it done.”

A native of Bowman, Rhett has an associate’s degree from Palmer Business College. She is employed in the Human Resource Services office of Orangeburg School District 5. Also, she is in the ministry.

Michael Void

In making his second bid for council, Void stresses his love for his hometown.

“When I graduated from high school, I traveled all over the world. But, I wanted to come back home,” he said. “I saw some improvements I’d like to see made.”

Of those improvements, Void says he’d particularly like to see some productive activities for the youth. He calls for a community center where teens can be taught various skills, receive guidance in such areas as proper dress and going on job interviews and have someone to talk to.

“We need more businesses here in Bowman,” he said. “I’d do my best to entice them. I’d be more aggressive, because I love this town.”

A native of Bowman, Void is an employee at the Detention Center in Orangeburg.

T&D Government Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached by e-mail at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by phone at 803-533-5545.

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