Town councilman throws hat into the ring to be Chapin’s next mayor
A town councilman has announced his bid to become Chapin’s next mayor.
Al Koon, currently a town council member and the town’s mayor pro tempore, announced Monday he will run for mayor in November.
In a press release, Koon said given Chapin’s location near Lake Murray, its schools and its people, the town has the potential to be “the gem of the state.”
He said Chapin needs to focus on expected growth in the region. With its limited resources, Koon said, the town needs to coordinate a grown plan with Lexington County, the Lexington-Richland 5 school district and other entities like the Irmo-Chapin Recreation Commission and the Chapin Community Theater.
“Folks in our area tend to be conservative, and they value their local independence,” Koon said. “We need to manage our town in a way that aligns with those values.”
Koon also praised outgoing Chapin Mayor David Knight, saying the current mayor “has brought great stability to our town, and he’s been very deliberate about including Council in his activities. As a result, he’s set the stage for future success.”
Koon is a native of Chapin who can trace his family in the area back eight generations. A retired engineer from SCE&G, Koon and his wife, Susan, have two sons and four grandchildren.
The election for mayor will be Nov. 2. Filing will open in August.
This story was originally published April 26, 2021 at 1:20 PM.
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