Supporters of James Island’s incorporation, celebrated at Smokey Oak Taproom after the referendum to incorporate once again passed by a landslide on April 24.
In this case, the fourth try was the charm.
The town ofJamesIsland’s most recent incorporation won’t face a legal challenge fromCharleston, Mayor Joe Riley said.
Three times since the 1990s, voters in the unincorporated part ofJamesIslandhave formed a town, only to seeCharlestonchallenge its legality and the S.C. Supreme Court dissolve it.
Island voters went to the polls this spring and approved creating a town for a fourth time.
The town has relied on the James Island Public Service District and county government for most local services, such as fire and police protection, while local sales-tax income has allowed the town to pay for all its zoning, code enforcement and other operations without levying an additional property tax.
The new town will have about 11,000 residents, a little less than half of the sea island’s population. About 18,000 residents on the island are within the city ofCharleston.
Last year’s S.C. Supreme Court’s ruling — the one that dissolved the town for a third time — advised town backers how they could proceed legally.
At issue primarily has been whether the proposed town was geographically contiguous, as the law requires.
In its recent incorporation, the town shrunk the proposed boundaries and left out neighborhoods such as Riverland Terrace to ensure contiguity.
