Three Greenville County Council Members Defeated After Tax Increase Vote
GREENVILLE — In a surprising turn of events, three longtime members of the Greenville County Council were voted out of office during the June 11 primaries. Their defeat comes after they supported a property tax increase last year, the first hike in around three decades.
The new tax adds approximately $58 per year for homeowners with properties valued at $200,000. Councilmen Butch Kirven, Mike Barnes, and Chris Harrison, all Republicans, were behind the increase and subsequently lost their seats.
During the contentious vote in June 2023, council members faced angry residents, and the Greenville County Republican Party condemned all Republicans who backed the tax increase.
Kirven, a veteran council member since 2004, lost to Garey Collins, who earned 3,011 votes compared to Kirven’s 1,317. In another matchup, Barnes, who joined the council in 2016, was defeated by Kelly Long, receiving 2,196 votes to her 3,216. Harrison, aiming for a second term after being elected in 2020, lost to Curt McGahhey, who secured 3,003 votes against Harrison’s 2,370.
The challengers in these races emphasized their opposition to the tax increase as a key reason for their candidacies. This shift in power may lead to upcoming debates, as some new council members express intentions to repeal the tax hike.
Councilman Steve Shaw, one of the few council members to oppose the increase, is heading into a runoff against Alex Reynolds.
In the District 22 race, Frank Farmer and Jay Rogers will also face a runoff on June 25. Farmer just missed the majority needed to win outright after besting Nia Thomas and Ethan Jedziniak. They are vying for the seat left vacant by Stan Tzouvelekas, who was defeated in his attempt to represent District 22 in the South Carolina Statehouse by Paul Wickenseimer. Wickenseimer, formerly the Greenville County clerk of court and a past council member, won with 3,266 votes to Tzouvelekas’s 2,765.
