Land use, better infrastructure, and government trust are three priorities that Spartanburg resident Lekesa Whitner intends to support if elected as chair of the Spartanburg County Council in the upcoming Nov. 3 election.
Whitner, one of four candidates seeking to win her first election to the Council, is running mainly because of what she calls “a responsibility to ensure every community has a voice.”
“My commitment is simple,” she said. “People before politics, responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars, and leadership grounded in integrity, fairness, transparency, and respect.”
To this end, she offered these specifics:
• Responsible Growth and Land Use. Whitner pointed out that while the county is growing in some robust ways with a ton of capital investment, incubators for small business entrepreneurs, and a new makeover for downtown, it will be too late in the near-future to halt a potential runaway effect, similar to what the Lowcountry area of Mount Pleasant is now experiencing, if leadership and engineers don’t plan now for major expansion.
“Economic development is important, but every project is not appropriate for every location,” she said. “Residents need every chance to participate in decisions that could significantly affect their communities. And I want stronger planning that considers the impact of development on neighborhoods, schools, roads, traffic, water, utilities, public safety, and our natural resources before major decisions are made.
• Infrastructure and Transportation. The Spartanburg Penny Project has already led to the makeover or replacement of many county roads and bridges, with 146 projects expected to be completed in 2026 alone.
While Whitner praised efforts that are underway, she indicated that many of the roads, such as Highway 296 around Reidville, were never designed to handle “the amount of residential, commercial, and industrial development we are experiencing today.”
“The County has made accelerating road improvements a strategic priority, with nearly $94.8 million included for road infrastructure projects in the FY2026 capital budget,” she said. “Before approving a major development, we should understand what additional demands it will place on surrounding infrastructure and how necessary improvements will be funded.”
• Trustworthy Government. In the last year, county residents have come out in almost open rebellion publicly and in online forums over county leaders making hasty decisions without resident input – and in some cases, just not telling the truth.
Whitner said of all the items that she might be faced with if elected, this one issue alone will not only be a top priority, it is the keystone holding the county back from achieving its true potential on many fronts.
“Residents should not feel as though major decisions have already been made by the time they learn about them,” she said. “I want residents to become involved in the decision-making process, as if they were at-large members of the Council. To this end, I would explore holding Council several meetings each year in different communities, using locations such as schools or libraries. I believe Spartanburg County can be both pro-growth and pro-community. Those principles do not have to compete with one another.”
