Lexington County Council member moved out of her district, lawsuit says
Correction: this story has been updated to reflect when the Carriggs purchased the home on Pilgrim Church Road. It was purchased this year.
A member of Lexington County Council is being accused of moving out of her district.
A lawsuit filed Wednesday in Lexington County court alleges Councilwoman Beth Carrigg moved out of the home on Old Wood Drive previously listed as her primary address. Because of that move, district resident Lloyd Higbe contends Carrigg can no longer represent Council District 7, which covers the St. Andrews/Irmo area between the Saluda River and the Richland County line.
“The Defendant is no longer qualified to hold office as a Lexington County Council person because she is not a permanent resident of the District,” the suit alleges.
The lawsuit also alleges that Carrigg has pushed to have county council districts redrawn so that a property her husband purchased earlier this year will be moved into her current district.
Carrigg confirmed to The State she and her husband, John, have moved out of their former residence, but are currently staying in a rented townhome off Lake Murray Boulevard — within District 7 — while they look for a more permanent home, with the intent of staying inside the updated District 7 after the redistricting process.
“I’ve done everything I’m supposed to do, changed my driver’s license, my realtor’s license, mailing address, voter registration, everything I’m supposed to do to establish my residence, but for some reason, (Higbe) can’t let it go,” Carrigg said.
She believes the lawsuit is politically motivated, since Higbe ran against Carrigg in the Republican primary for the District 7 seat in 2018. She shared with The State a copy of her updated vehicle registration showing her new address.
In a prepared response to the lawsuit shared with The State, Carrigg claims Higbe called County Administrator Lynn Sturkie more than once this past fall asking what would happen if a council member moved out of their district and claiming Carrigg had moved out of District 7.
Carrigg said in the response she has kept Sturkie and the county attorney apprised about her move.
“Plaintiff is disgruntled” over his election loss to Carrigg, “and has since that time sought to harass and annoy Defendant Carrigg because he is a ‘sore loser,’” Carrigg’s response states.
Higbe told The State he has no intention of running for the council seat again. “All I’m asking for is the truth,” Higbe said.
“I’m just curious that they bought what they did when they did, knowing the district would be redrawn, and now it is going to be pulled into District 7,” Higbe said. “She could just be upfront and let everybody know what her address is.”
The lawsuit alleges the Carriggs are moving into a new home on Pilgrim Church Road north of Lexington, currently outside of the district, which property records show was bought last year by John Carrigg.
“Upon information and belief, the transaction in question was financed as a permanent residence and was financed only in the name of the Defendant’s husband so the Defendant would not have to declare her true intent to live on Pilgrim Church Road which is out of the District,” the lawsuit says.
Carrigg told The State they may end up living in the Pilgrim Church Road home, but the property was originally bought with the intent of being “flipped” and re-sold, and the home is currently undergoing renovations. She said the house is uninhabitable while it’s undergoing renovations. The family has only allowed family members use of the home for its pool and lake access, Carrigg’s response says.
“I can tell you, I pay for three pods full of furniture to be kept, a couple 20-by-30 storage units, I’m paying for an apartment for $2,000 a month, plus a mortgage on that new property, so I’ve got to make a decision soon” about where the family will permanently live, Carrigg said.
Under proposed new Lexington County Council district lines to account for the 2020 census, the Pilgrim Church Road property could end up in District 7, which would extend out to the Lake Murray dam and north Lexington areas under the current proposal.
Higbe’s lawsuit alleges that’s intentional. “Knowing she is not qualified to hold office at this time, the Defendant has worked hard to have the District lines changed to include her new residence.” the suit alleges. “This Court should inquire into the matter set forth herein and should void any attempts by the Defendant to engage in gerrymandering the District lines to suit her own self-interest.”
Lexington County is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.
Carrigg says she had nothing to do with how the proposed new district lines were drawn. She said she never communicated with the county staff tasked with drawing up the lines and saw them for the first time when they were presented to council in November.
“There’s a venue for challenging redistricting,” Carrigg said. “All the numbers have been out there since November, and not one single person showed up to a public hearing to voice opposition, nobody has emailed or called about it, no one showed up to say a word about it.“
Carrigg’s response quotes from a review of the new district lines from the S.C. Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office, which handles state data and research, including demographic figures. It said the map met the agency’s “redistricting criteria based on the traditional redistricting criteria as well as any Federal and State Law.”
Carrigg said the only feedback she’s received about the redistricting process has been from residents concerned if she would continue to be their council member.
The current District 7 is the rare district in fast-growing Lexington County that has actually lost population since 2010, with census data showing the current district has 646 fewer residents now than in the past. The redistricting proposal would move territory currently in Councilwoman Charli Wessinger’s District 3, which is based in the Chapin area, into District 7. Wessinger’s district would also pick up the southside of Irmo from Carrigg’s district under the new lines.
The land swap between Carrigg’s and Wessinger’s districts would leave Carrigg’s new district 1.76% above the optimal district average identified by demographers and Wessinger 1.75% below it, the two widest variations among the nine Lexington County districts.
“This is someone trying to disparage me for the new voters who I don’t know,” Carrigg said. “It’s a shot across the bow in the election next year, and it’s sad they’re dragging Lexington County into it. They’re saying they have no confidence in the people who do their job and present the information, that they’re subject to something I said or I’ve done.”
This story was originally published December 27, 2021 at 2:13 PM.
CORRECTION: This story has been updated to reflect when the Carriggs purchased the home on Pilgrim Church Road. It was purchased in 2021.
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