West Columbia Mayor Owens ousted

One embattled mayor in Lexington County was ousted while another fended off a challenge at the polls Tuesday.

Former West Columbia Mayor Bobby Horton cruised to a nearly 2-1 victory in reclaiming a post he lost to conflict-prone Joe Owens in 2011.

In Irmo, Mayor Hardy King overcame squabbles with other town leaders to remain in office as one critic lost a a bid to remain on Town Council.

Horton’s comeback followed his emphasis on restoring harmony and cooperation at City Hall.

“People are tired of controversy,” he said. “They said enough is enough.”

Horton intends to seek restoration of power such as setting the agenda for council sessions that other city leaders took away from Owens.

Owens’ team gained a bit of success in defeating Councilman B. J. Unthank, one of the outgoing mayor’s main nemeses.

Jimmy Brooks, who ran Owens’ unsuccessful effort to regain clout in a referendum last year, won that showdown. “It is a little bit bittersweet,” Brooks said. “We won’t be there together, but it’s time to move forward.”

The outcome in Irmo left King predicting much less friction. “We may not always agree, but we’ll agree to get along,” he said.

Much of the conflict stemmed from King’s push to overhaul operation of the Okra Strut festival, changes that ended nearly a decade of red ink. Veteran Councilman Harvey Hoots, a skeptic of the changes, lost his re-election bid.

Meanwhile, Chapin councilwoman Kay Hollis withstood an effort by Mayor Skip Wilson to defeat her.

Hollis won re-election easily, with voters choosing newcomer Mike Clonts for the other at-large post over Wilson allies in a field of four candidates.

It was a setback for Wilson, who called Hollis an obstructionist after she repeatedly questioned and sometimes helped block his initiatives during the past two years.

Hollis, a councilwoman for 12 years, complains Wilson makes many major decisions on his own without heeding the views of other town leaders.

In Batesburg-Leesville, former Councilman Steve Cain apparently reclaimed the post from which he was removed in June by other council members for alleged non-residency.

This story was originally published November 3, 2015 at 8:03 PM with the headline "West Columbia Mayor Owens ousted."