Horry County councilman to step down at end of year

Horry County Councilman Jody Prince will not seek a third term in office.

The 47-year-old, who has represented District 10 since 2009, said Friday that he plans to step down when his term expires at the end of the year.

Prince said he wanted to announce his departure early to give other potential candidates time to decide if they want to pursue the seat.

“Eight years is enough,” he said. “It’s time to move over and get a fresh perspective and fresh outlook on things from someone else who is willing to serve.”

Prince’s decision follows a year of unexpected turnover on the council. Last year two special elections were needed to replace veteran council members: Bob Grabowski of District 6 committed suicide in March and District 3’s Marion Foxworth resigned in August to become the county’s register of deeds.

Cam Crawford was elected to the District 6 seat and Jimmy Washington was sworn in Thursday to represent District 3. Both candidates will have to run again in the fall to keep their posts.

There will be five council seats on the November ballot.

One reason Prince won’t pursue another term is because he wants to spend more time with his wife and 14-year-old daughter. He also recently launched an asbestos abatement business that will need more of his attention.

But he said he always knew his tenure would be limited.

“It’s going to be a shock, maybe, to some people because a lot of people want to make this a career,” he said. “It’s just never been something that I wanted to do for 30 years.”

Spanning from the county line to Carolina Forest, District 10 covers a larger swath of land than any of the county’s other districts. Prince was first elected in 2008 after his predecessor Kevin Hardee, now a state lawmaker, opted not to run again.

An Horry County native who still lives on his family’s farm outside Loris, Prince said he grew up in a house where his parents often talked about politics and he was eager to serve when the opportunity became available.

During his time in office, Prince helped develop a prioritization list for paving the dirt roads in his district. He also served on a committee that redrew the boundaries of the county’s 11 districts. That redistricting plan was the only one in the history of the county to be approved by the U.S. Department of Justice without being contested.

Apart from the larger initiatives, Prince said he’s enjoyed chatting up residents. He estimates he receives at least eight calls a day from people asking about everything from how to interpret their county tax bill to complaints about standing water near homes.

“It was easy for me to help a lot of people,” he said. “It made you feel good. That’s my favorite part of it.”

Prince is the only sitting council member who is not seeking reelection.

Although it’s early in the year, Paul Prince of District 9 said his campaign has begun.

“Wide open,” he said. “I’m already doing it.”

Paul Prince served on the council from 1983 through 1992 and returned to the Loris area seat in 2002. He has occupied it since then.

Councilman Gary Loftus of District 4 also said he’s running again. He has served on the council for two terms, representing a southern section of the county that includes much of the S.C. 707 corridor.

If he keeps his seat, Loftus said he plans to work with Burgess residents, developers and county planners to create a strategy for better managing growth in that community. He’d also like to see the projects in the RIDE II road-building program completed.

“There’s a lot to do,” Loftus said.

As for Jody Prince, he’s at peace with his decision. He never intended to stay for decades, though he doesn’t regret stepping into the political arena.

“It’s absolutely an honor to serve in this capacity,” he said. “It’s been a great time.”

This story was originally published January 10, 2016 at 6:40 PM with the headline "Horry County councilman to step down at end of year."