By Will Allen
Candidate for Lexington Town Council
“Those who do not desire positions of influence are the most needed to fill them.”
There are many issues that I care about and want to be a part of solving, but this phrase explains why I am running for Lexington Town Council.
When I was encouraged to run for Town Council by my family, achieving some type of political office was never something I had considered. You constantly hear politicians say “After much thought and prayer, I have decided to run for (x office.)”
I hope and know that in many cases, this is true. For me, it is absolutely true. Since being born again 54 weeks ago, every decision comes after prayerful consideration, and God has led me to be proactively involved.
My family and I are active in our community and politically. I am heavily involved in the Lexington County Republican Party as the elected Executive Committeeman for my precinct, and my family stood strong against the 93-acre Smallwood Cove Project and its potential interference with our quality of life. Like many issues, it is not entirely put to rest. We must put policies in place to make the process clear and concise.
As Committeeman, I have fought hard to hold elected officials accountable for straying from our principles and I have been successful in doing so.
As an active co-owner and manager of a popular restaurant, I speak with hundreds of citizens every week who share their concerns with me. I also know first-hand the issues small businesses face – from the burdensome taxes to the overregulation of businesses.
I know that we must reform our tax structure: the Hospitality Tax expires at the end of this year and I will oppose extending it further. With seemingly every level of government in a race to see how fast and how high property taxes can be raised, we must do our part and tighten our belts. Inflation is not going away any time soon and we need to do everything we can to ensure businesses and citizens can flourish in Lexington.
As a business owner, I have seen and fought against the attacks on our freedoms and we MUST ensure those attacks never happen again. I will press policies that preserve our constitutional rights.
Our citizens are concerned about high-density subdivisions impacting our town. An incumbent who chose not to run for re-election has served as the head of the National League of Cities. Associations like the NLC desire to change Lexington into having the exact same identity as every other municipality. Lexington has its own identity, and we must keep it that way.
People will always look to locate in Lexington because of its community and because it is a great place to call home. We can appreciate the fact that Lexington will grow, but we must balance that with the quality of life of our current citizens.
I entered this race knowing that I was ready to serve and that I had the trust of others to fulfill this role. I didn’t have a “plan” to win this election as I decided to get in, but God provides and He has put a coalition behind me to win this race. That is the kind of team building we need when we govern. Please join our team today. I would appreciate your vote starting with early voting on October 23rd or on Election Day, November 7th.
Please reach out to me at WillAllenforLexSC.com to learn more about me and my campaign.
