Simple Civics: Greenville County

Latest Episodes:

Elected/Staff Relationship - a conversation with Greer Councilman Mark Hopper and City Administrator Andrew Merriman Jul 26, 2022

Show notes

When we talk about local government, it’s easy for us to lump everyone involved - from staff to elected officials - into one big bucket. But government staff and those people elected to represent us have very distinct roles. The more clarity around their roles, the better work they can do on our behalf. Today I’ll talk with Andrew Merriman, City Administrator for the City of Greer, and Mark Hopper, a member of the Greer City Council. Both feel passionate about role clarity and how council and staff leaders work together as a team. And, their partnership is working! They’ll share some of the great things going on in Greer, including that it was just mentioned by southern living as a great place to visit this year.

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

A civics newcomer's takeaways Jul 19, 2022

Show notes

Nathaniel Desantis produces every episode of this podcast, and he gets to hear firsthand the behind-the-scenes conversation with every guest. He shares what he's learned so far, and Katy Smith previews what's next in Season 3.

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

The foster care system and the community's role Jul 12, 2022

Show notes

More than 4,000 children and youth are in the foster care system in South Carolina. Even though the system is a necessary way to move children to a safe place, a governmental system can in no way take the place of a loving parental relationship. David White, Founder and CEO of Fostering Great Ideas, joins us to discuss the role of community members creating support for young people and their parents who are part of foster care.

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Voter Turnout in the Greenville County Primary Elections Jul 05, 2022

Show notes

Primary elections just happened in Greenville County! With that comes some statistics that we can analyze. Today we are covering why voter turnout is important, which counties had the highest (and lowest) voter turnout, and what we can all do to help increase voter turnout for the next election.

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Gentrification and Affordable Housing Challenges in Greenville County Jun 28, 2022

Show notes

The term "affordable housing is thrown around a lot these days in Greenville County. Of course, what is affordable to one person is not at all affordable to another. Housing can be called affordable if you are spending no more than 1/3 of your income to procure it. That means that there should be housing that is affordable to a CEO as well as to someone who earns minimum wage. In Greenville County, that is not the case right now. How did these affordable housing challenges come to be, and what tools are at the disposal of local government? This episode of Simple Civics: Greenville County covers this and so much more around housing policy, history, and economics. Travis Wharton, Director of Education and Economic Mobility at the United Way of Greenville County talks with Dr. Kenn Kolb, a Professor of Sociology and Chairman of the department of sociology at Furman University.

Travis Wharton: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travis-wharton-a1b831b8/

Kenn Kolb: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ken-kolb-a0418661/

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Parliamentary procedure is exciting! - and supports decision making Jun 21, 2022

Show notes

Parliamentary procedure is at work when you hear "so moved," "second," and "call the question!" in a meeting. It may sound confusing and Byzantine, but it supports productive conversation, deliberation, and both the majority and minority on a public body like an elected council or board. Greenville County Councilman Dan Tripp, known to be one of the most well-versed on council regarding parliamentary procedure, joins us to discuss what it is and how it's used.

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

Do primaries matter? (YES - and sometimes more than the general election! Encore) Jun 14, 2022

Show notes

In 2018 (the last mid-term or non-presidential election), more than half of South Carolina's voters turned out on the November election day. But back in June, only 20% of voters cast a ballot in the primary election. And that small group of summer voters largely determined who ended up in office. Because most of our races in South Carolina have just one party represented on the ballot in November, and that person is chosen during the summer primary. Jason Zacher, Senior Vice President of Business Advocacy with the Greenville Chamber and Upstate Chamber Coalition covers this and other important election-related topics. He's interviewed by Derek Lewis of Greenville First Steps.

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

District 26 - Meet your candidates for the Greenville County Council Republican primary Jun 07, 2022

Show notes

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 26 in the Republican primary on June 14th: Lynn Ballard and Rick Bradley. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors.

Lynn Ballard: https://www.greenvillecounty.org/Council/CouncilMember.aspx?m=LynnBallard

Rick Bradley: https://rickworks4u.com/

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

District 23 - Meet your candidates for the Greenville County Council Democratic primary May 31, 2022

Show notes

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 23 in the Democratic primary on June 14th: Alan Mitchell and David C. Mitchell. Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors.

Alan Mitchell: https://www.alanmitchell-greenville23.com/

David C. Mitchell: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-c-mitchell-15b0465/

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

District 19 - Meet your candidates for the Greenville County Council Republican primary May 24, 2022

Show notes

Meet the primary candidates for Greenville County Council District 19 in the Republican primary on June 14th: Benton Blount, Jackie Clark, and Ivan Mathena (Willis Meadows, the incumbant, did not respond to numerous requests to participate). Your vote is so important - especially in the primary! In 2020, one of our County Council primaries was decided by just three votes! Please take a listen and share with your neighbors.

Benton Blount: https://bentonblount.com/

Jackie Clark: No website yet

Ivan Mathena: https://ivanforsc.com/

Produced by The Greenville Podcast Company.

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