S*0915 Resolution, By Grooms, Matthews and Pinckney
 A SENATE RESOLUTION COMMENDING THE HONORABLE WILLIAM HARRY CONE, JR., OF
 COLLETON COUNTY FOR SIXTEEN YEARS OF SERVICE AS MAYOR OF WALTERBORO UPON THE
 OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AND TO EXTEND TO HIM BEST WISHES IN ALL OF HIS
 FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

   06/01/05  Senate Introduced and adopted SJ-8

COMMENDING THE HONORABLE WILLIAM HARRY CONE, JR., OF COLLETON COUNTY FOR SIXTEEN YEARS OF SERVICE AS MAYOR OF WALTERBORO UPON THE OCCASION OF HIS RETIREMENT AND TO EXTEND TO HIM BEST WISHES IN ALL OF HIS FUTURE ENDEAVORS.

Whereas, it is with great pleasure that the members of the South Carolina Senate recognize political leaders, such as William Harry Cone, Jr., of Colleton County, who have dedicated their careers to building safe, functioning communities for their families and neighbors; and

Whereas, the son of Agnes Hill Cone and William Harry Cone, he has followed his father's example spending the better part of his adult life in public service; and

Whereas, a graduate of Walterboro High School, after attending the Citadel and the University of South Carolina, Harry Cone returned home to run the family business-Walterboro Drug Company; and

Whereas, as Mayor of the City of Walterboro since 1989, Mayor Cone has left his personal imprint on the city from the arts to the airport and many countless ways in between; and

Whereas, Mayor Cone has made unprecedented strides in improving the Walterboro community, including his efforts to expand the infrastructure of the city's water and sewer lines to outlying areas and in establishing the Great Swamp Sanctuary; and

Whereas, encouraging local citizens to take an active role in the governance of their city, Mayor Cone implemented a policy of hiring Walterboro residents first, and by the end of his term, all department heads were citizens who had lived in the city for more than twenty years with a common respect and commitment to the furtherance of the city; and

Whereas, working to clean up the streets and to maintain safe areas for children to play and grow, he eradicated widespread drug trafficking in certain areas, refurbished multiple parks in the area, and also created a new children's playground and park that will be enjoyed for years to come; and

Whereas, an avid supporter of the arts, Mayor Cone's leadership led to the refurbishing of the Hampton Street Auditorium and the opening of the South Carolina Artisans Center-the pride of Walterboro; and

Whereas, Mayor Cone built a reputation as a fiscal conservative and boasted sixteen balanced budgets, with a surplus at the end of his term. He was also instrumental in bringing in twenty new industries to the Walterboro area during his tenure; and

Whereas, before becoming mayor, he bravely gave of his time and energy as a member of the Walterboro Fire Department and as fire chief of the City of Walterboro for fifteen years and was largely responsible for the modernization of the airport as chairman of the Walterboro-Colleton County Airport Commission; and

Whereas, in addition to his service as drugstore proprietor, Fire Chief, and Mayor, Harry Cone has also served on the Walterboro City Council and the Board of Directors of the Municipal Association of South Carolina and was the Chairman of the Walterboro-Colleton County Airport Commission from 1993-2005; and

Whereas, during his tenure as Chairman of the Walterboro-Colleton County Airport Commission, Chairman Cone led the greatest modernization of the Lowcountry Regional Airport since Walterboro and Colleton County acquired the airport shortly after WWII. He also led the commission to establish a Memorial Park honoring airmen who served at the airport during WWII; and

Whereas, Mayor Cone has given his life to serving the Walterboro community and its citizens, and he remains a fine example of an outstanding leader whose legacy will live on for generations to come. Now, therefore,

Be it resolved by the South Carolina Senate:

That the members of the Senate of the State of South Carolina, by this resolution, commend The Honorable William Harry Cone, Jr., of Colleton County for sixteen years of service as mayor of Walterboro upon the occasion of his retirement and extend to him best wishes in all his future endeavors.

Be it further resolved that a copy of this resolution be forwarded to The Honorable William Harry Cone, Jr.