ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Residents in Orangeburg came together Monday for the county’s Growth Summit.
The gathering served as an opportunity for the community to voice their hopes and visions for the future.
Residents like Connie Johnson took advantage of this opportunity. She says she likes aspects of where the county is headed.
“Honestly, Orangeburg has always been diversified economically. I want to ensure that every person, regardless of their economic status, is included in the plans going forward," Johnson said. “As an artist, I understand how important art is to the development of any geographical location, so to see the implementation of arts being included in what’s happening is very exciting.”
Community partners such as the City of Orangeburg, the school district, several universities and agencies were in attendance, all eager to listen and learn from residents.
Melinda Jacques, who lives in Orangeburg, says she would like to see more things for the youth to participate in.
“Growth, especially for our youth, a lot of different things for them to do," said Jacques. "Because we don’t have to go to Columbia or Charleston for the movie theaters now, we have one in Orangeburg, thanks to Claflin University, which we love and patronize a lot.”
13 years ago, the county conducted a sustainability study that led to crucial developments, including the capital project sales tax and many federal and state grants.
Stewart Haig is the community development director for the county. He says having residents share feedback and ideas helps keep Orangeburg's identity moving forward.
“I think every community is a little different and, in order to be successful, we want to be who we are and maintain our own identity," said Haig. "Orangeburg is a different place than say Aiken or Lexington, and we want to keep the good parts of our current system in place, but we mostly want to add to what the citizens would like to see.”
For those not able to attend, click here to say what you would like to see in Orangeburg.