Jason Seay
Infrastructure, data security, and government accountability are three items that Chesnee resident Jason Seay intends to tackle if elected to Spartanburg County Council, District 2, on Nov. 3.
Seay, a financial advisor with Edward Jones Investments, is the only one of the seven Council candidates with previous election experience, having served on the Spartanburg County District 2 School Board since 2017.
Because he is running unopposed and will thereby almost certainly gain the seat, Seay is already rolling up his sleeves to bring a proactive, data-driven approach to local governance, and especially development.
“My political motivation is simple,” he said. “To rebalance corporate investment priorities that work for the local residents, not at their expense.”
Details include:
• Infrastructure-First Development. While Spartanburg County transportation engineers have utilized the 1% Capital Penny Program in the past two years toward repairing all 577 county roads and bridges by 2030, Seay said that road improvements, traffic management, and utility capacities should be more strictly evaluated “before new construction zones are created.”
“I intend to enforce strict, forward-thinking infrastructure checks before major developments are approved,” he said. “I further stress active, accessible communication so that residents are never caught off guard by decisions affecting their neighborhoods.”
• Data & Infrastructure Security. Public outcry in the past year over data centers resulted in February 2026 in a full reversal by the seven members of County Council: After unanimously and previously passing two readings to authorize a proposal by AI developer TigerDC to locate a $3 billion data center, known as Project Spero, in the county, a near open resident rebellion forced the Council to defeat the measure on third and final reading.
Seay believes this kind of relationship between Council and residents not only fuels distrust, it undermines the balance between business and governance.
“Rapid expansion in District 2 – specifically in Boiling Springs, Chesnee, and Mayo – has outpaced our foundational infrastructure,” he said. “I want to bring an infrastructure-first policy to County Council, ensuring that our roads, emergency services, water, and power grids are equipped to support our growth safely and responsibly.”
• Government Transparency & Accountability. Of all the current and long-term issues facing Spartanburg County, Seay, as with all the new Council candidates, have unequivocally placed this one at the top.
To this end, he favors increased public access to Council deliberations, budget allocations, and long-range planning decisions in order to “rebuild complete trust between citizens and county leadership.
“Plus, going forward, I would like to eliminate the practice of approving high-density developments through special exemptions without direct input and clear notice given to the surrounding neighborhood residents who bear the brunt of the traffic and strain on services,” he said. “The biggest obstacle holding Spartanburg County back isn't a lack of opportunity. It is a breakdown in long-term alignment between business growth and resident quality of life.”
