“We’d really like to get someone in here
who could stay for the long haul . . .”
Penny Pearson-Burke, Resident of Prosperity, South Carolina
In these times of high unemployment and uncertainty, it seems everyone is either looking for a job or hanging on tight to the one they have. Right? Not really. At least a couple of small towns are having a heck of a time keeping their top spots filled.Prosperity, South Carolina (population 1,055) is unlucky in law enforcement. The town has had three police chiefs in three years, and they’re on the lookout for another one now. One police chief stepped down in 2009 amid charges of misconduct, another left last week as a “personnel matter,” and the police administrator who oversees the chief and would be on the hook for the interim job is out on medical leave. The town administrator and some county deputies are keeping an eye on things while the town ramps up another search. Good thing—turns out Prosperity has a relatively high crime rate for a small town. Maybe word’s gotten out that Prosperity is police chief poor.
But a small town in our neighbor to the north has it even tougher. In Bridgetown, Nova Scotia (population 972) the mayor and entire town council walked out last week. The reason? The town has deep financial problems and town leaders are stumped about what to do. The problems stem from a $1 million upgrade to the town’s water system and an insufficient tax base to pay the bill. The mayor says they’re all stepping down so someone with more expertise can take over. It isn’t the first time the mayor’s spot has had to be filled on the QT—the current mayor took over after the previous mayor quit halfway through his term. In this latest crisis, it looks like Bridgetown is in over its head, and all the folks at the top are throwing in the towel.
Read the Articles:
Small town looking for third police chief in three years
Bridgetown’s leaders step down amid growing financial problems; police investigating town’s books
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