Restoring Trust, Transparency, and Accountability

Lathonia Bennett is running for Williamsburg County Supervisor to bring honest, transparent leadership to our county. Together, we can build a government that works for all residents—one that operates with integrity, keeps communities informed, and makes decisions in the public interest.

Lathonia Bennett for County Supervisor campaign flyer

Williamsburg County Deserves Better Leadership

As County Supervisor, Lathonia Bennett will lead with integrity, ensuring county resources are used wisely, decisions are made transparently, and every resident's voice is heard. It's time for honest, accountable leadership in Williamsburg County.

Open Leadership

Government that listens to residents and responds to community needs.

Public Engagement

Town halls, forums, and direct dialogue with the people we serve.

Integrity First

Every decision guided by what's right for Williamsburg County.

Our Core Values

The foundation of our commitment to Williamsburg County.

Transparency

Transparency

Open budgets, public records, and honest communication. Every resident deserves to know how their county government works and where their tax dollars go.

  • • Public budget review meetings
  • • Online government transparency
  • • Direct communication with officials
Accountability

Accountability

We answer to the people. Government leaders must be held responsible for their decisions and serve the public interest above all else.

  • • Regular town halls
  • • Ethical governance standards
  • • Performance reporting
Community Trust

Community Trust

Build a government that listens, responds, and works together with residents to solve problems and create prosperity for all.

  • • Community listening sessions
  • • Inclusive decision-making
  • • Responsive government

Why Williamsburg County Needs Change

Hear from residents who are ready for honest, transparent leadership.

Williamsburg County community

Seeking Transparency

"We deserve to know what's happening in our county government. Decisions affecting our families should be made in the open."

- Patricia M., Long-time Resident

Community engagement and voting

Demanding Accountability

"Our leaders need to listen to us and work for our community's future. We're ready to hold them accountable."

- David R., Community Organizer

People gathered together

Building Trust

"Williamsburg County needs a leader who will restore our faith in government. We're ready to build something better together."

- Jennifer S., Business Owner

Join the Movement for Change

Help Lathonia Bennett bring trust, transparency, and accountability to Williamsburg County government.

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Volunteer

Help spread the message of honest government. Volunteer for community outreach, events, and campaign activities.

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Spread the Word

Share Lathonia's message with your family and friends. Together, we can build momentum for real change.

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Support the Campaign

Make a contribution to help fund this grassroots campaign for honest government in Williamsburg County.

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About Lathonia Bennett

Lathonia Bennett is a lifelong Williamsburg County resident running for County Supervisor to bring honest, transparent, and accountable leadership to our county. With a deep commitment to community service and a clear vision for positive change, Lathonia is dedicated to ensuring county government serves all residents fairly and effectively.

County Supervisor for Real Change

As County Supervisor, Lathonia will prioritize three core principles: making county government operations transparent, holding decision-makers accountable to residents, and building genuine trust between county leadership and the people we serve.

This is a grassroots campaign dedicated to putting Williamsburg County residents first—ensuring our county resources are managed wisely and our county leaders work for us, not special interests.

Williamsburg County community

Sign Our Referendums

We are advancing four clear referendum petitions to ensure Williamsburg County citizens have a direct voice on critical governance and development issues. Each petition requires 2,850 signatures from registered voters.

Volunteer Groups Needed

Are you part of a community organization, civic group, or volunteer network committed to advancing citizen participation in Williamsburg County? We need your help! Volunteer groups can collect petition signatures from members of their communities. Choose which referendum petition(s) your group wants to support and help gather signatures. Contact our campaign to learn more.

Hand-Written Signatures Required

South Carolina law requires that all petition signatures be original, hand-written signatures in blue or black ink on official petition forms. Digital signatures or typed names are not valid under state law.

For every signature to count, it must be gathered in person by an authorized circulator and submitted on official petition pages within 180 days of submission.

Referendum 1: Government Restructuring

Restructure Williamsburg County government to improve accountability, transparency, and professional administration. Includes citizen recall power for council members who intentionally work against the will of the people, with a requirement for good faith efforts to address community concerns. Creates a governmental structure that better serves all residents with increased citizen oversight and efficiency.

Requires 2,850 signatures from registered voters

Referendum 2: Government Transparency

Require that all county council members serving on utility boards and non-governmental boards must have access to meeting minutes and virtual participation options. This ensures transparency and accountability in all governmental and quasi-governmental board activities.

Requires 2,850 signatures from registered voters

Referendum 3: Special Purpose District

Establish a multi-purpose special purpose district encompassing recreation, conservation, and utilities services. This district will provide coordinated planning, management, and resource allocation for essential community services benefiting all Williamsburg County residents.

Requires 2,850 signatures from registered voters

Referendum 4: Board of Land Use Appeals

Establish an independent, citizen-appointed board of land use appeals with binding authority equal to a Board of Zoning—with full power to review, reverse, and overturn any county council land use decision. Citizens can challenge and overturn any permit or authorization they deem not in the best interest of Williamsburg County, independent of county council control or veto.

Requires 2,850 signatures from registered voters

How to Collect Signatures for the Petitions

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Choose Your Referendum(s)

Select which referendums your group wants to support. You can collect signatures for one, multiple, or all four referendum petitions. Each referendum has its own official petition form—print the form(s) for the referendum(s) you're supporting.

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Print the Official Petition Form

Click the "Print Form" button next to each referendum above to print the official petition form for that specific referendum. You can print multiple copies and circulate them to gather signatures from registered voters in Williamsburg County.

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Collect Hand-Written Signatures

Signatures must be hand-written in blue or black ink on the official petition form. Each signature must be original—photocopies, digital signatures, or typed names will not be counted. Include voter information and voter registration certificate numbers on each line.

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Signatures Must Be In-Person

Signatures must be gathered in person by an authorized circulator. Each person who signs must do so voluntarily and in the presence of the circulator. All signatures must be collected within 180 days before the petition is submitted.

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Submit Your Completed Forms

Once you have collected signatures on the petition forms, contact our campaign to submit your completed pages. We will compile all signatures from all volunteer groups and submit the complete petition packages to Williamsburg County Council in accordance with South Carolina law.

Email: campaign@lathoniabennett.com

Important Legal Requirements

  • Original Ink Signatures Only: No photocopies, digital signatures, or typed names—only hand-written signatures in blue or black ink will be counted.
  • Registered Voters: You must be a registered voter or resident landowner of Williamsburg County to sign.
  • Voter Registration Number: Include your voter registration certificate number on the petition form.
  • 180-Day Rule: All signatures must be collected within 180 days before the petition is submitted to Williamsburg County Council.
  • In-Person Collection: An authorized circulator must witness each signature being made. No remote or mailed-in signatures without a circulator present.

Have questions about collecting signatures or need additional petition forms?

Contact Our Campaign

Citizens Advisory Board

An independent citizens advisory board—nominated and appointed by residents, not by county council—will bring direct community voice to county governance decisions.

Key Principle: Complete Independence from County Council

The Citizens Advisory Board is uniquely designed to operate completely independent of county council. County council members do NOT appoint advisory board members and have NO control over the nomination process. Instead, citizens from each district nominate and select their own representatives. This ensures the board truly represents the people, not political interests.

Broad Authority: Direct Policy Input and Community Oversight

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Citizens Nominate Representatives

Residents from each district submit nominations for board members. County council plays NO role in this process—it is completely citizen-driven.

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Direct Input on All County Policy

The board provides binding citizen input on county policy, budgets, governance decisions, land use matters, and resource allocation—going far beyond advisory role.

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Oversight of Council Actions

The board monitors county council decisions and can challenge actions not aligned with community interests. Citizens can petition the board to review council decisions.

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Transparent Public Accountability

Board meetings are open, transparent, and accessible. The board reports directly to citizens and answers for its decisions in public forums.

Far More Than Advisory

This board is not just an advisory committee. It provides direct, binding citizen input on all major county decisions. County leadership must listen and respond, or face recall from the citizens.

This ensures county government actually serves residents, with real consequences when leaders ignore community concerns.

How to Nominate a Community Leader

The nomination process is open to all residents. Live in Williamsburg County? You can nominate a community leader to represent your district on the Citizens Advisory Board.

No prior political experience required—just a commitment to your community and a willingness to serve all residents fairly.

Recall Power: Hold Council Members Accountable

As part of Government Restructuring, citizens gain the power to recall county council members who intentionally work against the will of the people or fail to address community concerns.

Real Accountability: Citizens Can Remove Leaders Who Ignore Them

Council members serve at the pleasure of the people. If a council member consistently acts against the will of the community or refuses to address community concerns in good faith, citizens have the power to recall and remove that official. This ensures leaders are truly accountable to the people they serve.

How the Recall Process Works

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Good Faith Requirement

Council members are required to make good faith efforts to address community concerns. Ignoring residents or refusing to engage with the advisory board or citizens is grounds for recall.

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Citizens Initiate Recall Petition

If a council member intentionally works against the will of the people or fails to address concerns in good faith, citizens can initiate a recall petition requiring a certain threshold of voter signatures.

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Public Recall Election

Once the petition reaches the required number of signatures, a recall election is held. Voters decide whether the council member should be removed and replaced.

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Council Members Answer to Citizens

Knowing they can be recalled, council members must listen to residents and address concerns in good faith. This creates real accountability that doesn't exist in most counties.

Why Recall Matters

Currently, council members can ignore residents, work against community interests, and face no consequences until the next election—which could be years away. A recall mechanism changes that dynamic.

When leaders know citizens can remove them at any time for not serving the community's interests, they listen. They work in good faith. They become truly accountable.

Real Democracy in Action

Recall power is a check on government that many counties lack. It ensures leadership stays aligned with the people's will and addresses community concerns promptly and in good faith.

This is what true representative government looks like—leaders who answer to the people.

Independent Board of Land Use Appeals

An independent, citizen-appointed board with binding authority to review, reverse, and overturn county council land use decisions—ensuring citizens control what happens in their communities.

Specific Authority: Citizens Can Challenge and Overturn Council Decisions

This board has binding, independent authority equal to a Board of Zoning—with the power to review ANY land use permit or authorization issued by the county council and overturn decisions the citizens deem not in the best interest of Williamsburg County residents.

County council cannot override, veto, or reverse the board's decisions. Citizens control land use policy through this independent board, not county council officials.

How Citizens Exercise Authority Through the Appeals Board

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Citizens Nominate and Select Members

Residents directly nominate and elect board members committed to protecting community interests. County council has NO role in selection—this is purely citizen-controlled.

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Binding Authority to Review All Land Use Decisions

Citizens can petition the board to review ANY land use permit, zoning variance, or authorization. The board reviews whether decisions serve community interests and whether they comply with established land use standards.

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Power to Overturn Council Decisions

The board has the binding authority to overturn, reverse, or modify ANY council decision the board determines is not in the best interest of residents. County council cannot override or veto board decisions.

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Transparent, Public Authority

All board meetings, reviews, and decisions are public. Citizens can attend, present evidence, and speak on any appeal. The board is fully accountable to residents.

Real Citizen Power Over Land Use

Currently, county council makes land use decisions with little accountability to residents. This board transfers that power directly to citizens, making county council answerable to the people they serve.

If the council issues a permit that harms your neighborhood, you have the power to challenge it. If decisions favor special interests over community welfare, citizens can overturn them.

Equal to Board of Zoning Authority

This board operates with the same binding authority as a Board of Zoning—not advisory, not consultative, but with FULL power to make decisions that cannot be overridden by county council.

Citizens make land use policy through elected/citizen board members, not through county council. This is true citizen control of development in Williamsburg County.

Download Marketing Materials

Use this QR code on your flyers and business cards to direct supporters to sign the petition

QR code linking to Lathonia Bennett petition page

Scan to visit: lathoniabennett.com

Easy Sharing for Flyers & Cards

This QR code directs supporters directly to our petition page where they can sign all four referendum petitions. Print it on your flyers, business cards, and marketing materials to make it easy for supporters to take action.

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For Flyers

Print the QR code on event flyers, community notices, and campaign materials. Supporters can scan it with any smartphone to access the petition forms.

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For Business Cards

Include the QR code on campaign business cards so anyone you meet can quickly access petition information and sign.

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How It Works

Supporters scan the code with their phone camera or QR code app and are taken directly to the petition page to sign.

Let's Build a Better Williamsburg County Together

Whether you want to volunteer, contribute, or learn more about the campaign, we'd love to hear from you. Join us in the movement for honest, transparent government.

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