ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Some Orangeburg County voters will see a special referendum on the ballot about an organization that few people may have heard of.
The Horse Range Watershed District was founded in 1967 to address flooding issues for residents of the Horse Range Swamp, which runs 25 miles through Holly Hill, Providence, Santee, and Vance.
A commission is responsible for its maintenance, such as reconstruction, repairs, enlargements, improvements and construction, but that could all change.
However, some residents have petitioned for the district and its commission to be dissolved. A referendum on November's ballot asks voters if they want to do away with the organization.
Aurora Smalls is the director of the Orangeburg County Voter Registration and Elections Commission. She says voters voiced wanting the county to take over those responsibilities.
"Voters felt like it wasn’t being attended to," said Smalls. "So they wanted to get rid of the Horse Watershed and they would like for the county to take over and take care of the debris and do everything instead of having that commission.”
Smalls said there had to be a petition of at least 25 voters for the referendum to be on the ballot.
“We had to have at least 25 voters," said Smalls. "25 active voters to sign on the petition and they had to stay in that watershed area and so once we received 25 valid signatures from the petition then they could move forward with the resolution.”
Smalls encourages voters to research before going to the polls in November.
“I would just make sure that voters take a look at that because a lot of times what happens is voters will come out to the precinct and they want to vote for straight party," said Smalls. "And when they vote straight party they don’t look at other things that are on the ballot.”
Voters will have the option of getting rid of the district or keeping it and writing in candidates for three commissioner spots. Orangeburg County residents who vote at Holly Hill 1, Providence, Vance and Santee 2 will see the referendum on their ballots.