Mayor zeroes in on roads, housing in SOT address
Moultrie News February 24, 2025
Mayor Will Haynie delivered his State of the Town address during the Feb. 20 Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce meeting at the Omar Shrine Temple, highlighting sustainability efforts, urban development and progress in addressing the opioid crisis as key achievements of 2024.
Mount Pleasant has grown by over 30 percent over the last 15 years. With no signs of slowing down, a central focus of Haynie's address was on community planning in order to accommodate the influx.
“I've always said there are two kinds of people in the world, those who live in Mount Pleasant and those who are moving here,” said Haynie.
Through an eight minute video played for the members, Haynie rattled off a number of successes and advancements.
He recognized recreational improvement projects like those in Alhambra Hall, Shem Creek and Carolina Park — the latter of which is entering its final phase this year with new baseball and softball fields, pickleball and basketball courts and nature trails.
Additionally, the Take Root program, which encourages public participation in ecosystem restoration, distributed over 5,000 trees in 2024. A long-term Community Forest Master Plan was introduced to identify goals in achieving a shared vision of a greener, more sustainable future.
The Town also launched the Online Permitting and Land Use (OPAL) system, streamlining the permitting process for construction projects and helping businesses and individuals plan, expand and innovate in Mount Pleasant.
A notable moment was Haynie’s recognition of Wake Up Carolina, a local grassroots organization tackling the opioid crisis through peer-based recovery support and community education.
Thanks to the Town’s partnership with Wake Up Carolina, Mount Pleasant is the only municipality in South Carolina to see a decline in opioid-related overdoses — down 40 percent since the partnership began. In 2024, the Town received an achievement award from the Municipal Association of South Carolina for this collaboration.
After the video, Haynie addressed other pressing issues, including traffic congestion, development concerns and the lack of affordable housing. He noted that traffic is the most common concern among residents, mentioning that the Town received $24 million in grants for roadway improvements and initiatives to reduce congestion.
“The one thing my phone rings about the most is traffic,” said Haynie. “We're looking at rebuilding intersections without having to redesign roads. Fixing those turn signals and getting those sequences right, and finding out where the problems are.”
Mount Pleasant also added two new fire trucks and two traffic response vehicles in 2024 to quickly clear accidents and keep traffic moving smoothly, which Haynie celebrated in his address.
Haynie briefly mentioned a lawsuit between the Town, Mount Pleasant Waterworks and a private developer over a proposed project near Highway 41 for up to 2,000 homes. While he couldn’t provide details, he emphasized that focusing on affordable housing and outdoor recreation is a better use of resources for the Town, and that they will continue to fight for a successful outcome in the lawsuit.
In outlining both the successes of 2024 and the obstacles ahead, Haynie emphasized that the growth and progress of Mount Pleasant will hinge on collaboration between the members of our community.
“Mount Pleasant's journey is one of unity, progress and shared purpose, and I'm excited about what our community can achieve together,” said Haynie. “The state of the Town is strong."
