Staff Writer

LOCKHART - A recount shows that annexation will bring 62 new residents, not 35, into Lockhart.

In June, Lockhart Town Council voted unanimously to approve an ordinance annexing 34 properties into the town. The properties include the old Hope Hospital, the old National Guard Armory on Lockhart Drive and Lockhart Schools.

At the time, it was estimated that the annexation would bring 35 more people into the town, increasing its population to 652. A recount by town officials, however, revealed that the annexation will actually bring 62 more people into the town increasing its population to 689.

Town Clerk Brenda Cameron said that she and Mayor Dean Bentley and town maintenance engineer Hugh Gregory reviewed each property being annexed to determine an exact population count.

“We took the list of the properties that were included in the annexation,” she said. “We went over every property individually to try and count how many were in the household and that's how we came up with that number.”

The accurate count is important because many state programs that provide financial assistance to local municipalities such as Aid to Subdivisions are based on population. Lockhart undertook its first annexation effort in the late 1990s and raised its population from 39 to 617. The increase helped the town obtain more funding to address a number of needs including improving its water, sewer and storm drainage infrastructure.

“It will allow us to obtain more grants based on the population count,” Bentley said. “We're currently pursuing grants for housing rehabilitation and the increase in our population will increase our chances of obtaining those grants.”

Attorney General's approval

In a related matter, Mayor Dean Bentley said the town has received a letter from the U.S. Justice Department's Civil Rights Division stating that the U.S. Attorney General has no objections to Lockhart's annexation plans. Lockhart, like the rest of South Carolina, is subject to the Voting Rights Act of 1965 which mandates federal review of any changes in the boundaries of any and all political entities including municipalities.

Bentley said that the letter means the annexation process can proceed. He said there will be a further 60-day review period during which the Justice Department can receive and deal with any additional information regarding the annexation. If there's nothing further, Bentley said, the annexation will be completed at that point.

Throughout the annexation process, Bentley and other town officials have pointed out that it gives the new residents a voice in municipal government they didn't have before.

“It will allow the people annexed in the opportunity to vote and have a say in the government,” he said. “It will allow them to run for office.”

Bentley said the town will continue to look for further annexation opportunities in the future.