2026 Spartanburg County Council District 2 Election

*CANDIDATES' VIEWS IN THE Q&AS LINKED BELOW DO NOT REFLECT THE VIEWS OF ONESPARTANBURG, INC. CANDIDATE RESPONSES ARE THE CANDIDATES' OWN WORDS, HAVING COME FROM EMAILED RESPONSES.*

This page has been updated to reflect the candidates who will be on the runoff ballot on June 23.

REPUBLICAN CANDIDATES

 

JASON SEAY

Website: https://www.facebook.com/share/1CguLiw9fD/?mibextid=wwXIfr 

The Office You're Seeking: County Council District 2

Tell us about yourself, your involvement in our community, and what you are for.

• I am a financial professional, a father, husband, and a dedicated public servant who believes Spartanburg is at a crossroads. With a background in finance and manufacturing, I don’t just look at "growth"—I look at the return on investment for the taxpayer.
  • My Involvement
    • School Board Trustee: 9 years serving Spartanburg District 2, I’ve seen firsthand how rapid growth impacts our classrooms and infrastructure.
    • Business Leader: I use my financial expertise to advocate for budgetary discipline and common-sense economic development.
  • What I Am For: Accountability You Can Seay
    • Infrastructure-First Growth: We must fix our roads and secure utilities before approving massive new developments. I am for "Smart Growth" that ends the gridlock in Boiling Springs and Chesnee.
      • High-Quality Jobs: I am for recruiting "mortgage-paying" careers in life sciences and tech—industries that offer high wages with a low impact on our roads and services.
      • Taxpayer Protection: I am for protecting your wallet. Whether managing the "Penny" projects or negotiating business incentives, I’ll ensure visitors and corporations pay their fair share to keep the burden off local homeowners.

I’m for a Spartanburg that is prosperous, planned, and predictable. I’m asking for your vote to bring financial leadership and accountability to County Council.

South Carolina’s Constitution sets a 10.5% property tax assessment on manufacturing property—well above the 4%–6% typical in competing Southeastern states. As a result, when companies meet qualifying investment and job criteria, tools like Fee in Lieu of Tax (FILOT) agreements are used to remain competitive and attract jobs and investment. FILOTs have been essential to attracting and retaining companies that have produced most of our community’s jobs. Do you support the use of FILOT agreements to offset this structural disadvantage? If yes, what specific criteria would you require to approve a FILOT? If not, what tools would you use to compete with lower-cost states and win jobs for the people of Spartanburg County? 

• As a financial professional and school board trustee, I support FILOT (Fee in Lieu of Tax) agreements because they are a necessary tool to offset South Carolina’s high 10.5% manufacturing tax. Without them, we lose high-paying jobs to neighboring states. However, a FILOT should be a performance-based contract, not a blank check. To earn my support, a project must meet these three criteria:
  • High-Wage Thresholds: I will prioritize "mortgage-paying" jobs over low-wage warehousing. To qualify for a tax break, a company’s average salary should meet or exceed our county's median income. We want to recruit careers that allow our local graduates to thrive here.
  • Infrastructure & School Impact: Every agreement must include an impact analysis. If a project brings 500 families but overwhelms our local schools and roads, the "deal" doesn't work for the taxpayer. Growth must pay for itself through infrastructure mitigation.
  • Clawback Provisions: I will require ironclad "clawback" clauses. If a company fails to meet its promised job numbers or investment totals, they should lose their tax incentives proportionally. The taxpayer should never be left holding the bag for a broken promise.

Bottom Line: I am pro-jobs, but I am first and foremost pro-accountability. I will use FILOTs to keep Spartanburg competitive, but I will ensure every deal is a win for the people who already live and pay taxes here.

Spartanburg County voters approved a six-year, 1% penny sales tax in 2017 to replace outdated and inefficient facilities. Voters continued the measure another six years in 2023 to fund 577 road projects. Both measures delivered major projects with no debt, no interest, no property tax increases, and over 30% of revenue was and will be derived from visitors. Together, these measures reflect strong voter support for investing in growth infrastructure—differentiating Spartanburg from neighboring counties who have been unable to pass similar initiatives. Did you support the 2017 and 2023 referendums? If yes, why? If not, what specific alternative funding mechanism would you have used to deliver the same scale of projects without raising property taxes or taking on debt—and would it generate comparable visitor-funded revenue? 

• I supported both the 2017 and 2023 referendums because they represent the most fiscally conservative way to fund massive infrastructure needs. The "Penny" allows us to fix our roads without raising property taxes or drowning the county in high-interest debt. While I support the funding mechanism, my focus on County Council will be prioritization. I will fight to ensure District 2 receives its fair share of these funds to address the specific gridlock in Boiling Springs and Chesnee. We must ensure these dollars are spent strategically, alongside smart zoning, so we aren't just paving over poor planning.

Given rising costs across the board, current residents and newcomers are finding it more difficult to afford housing. People want to live close to their place of employment, and companies want to locate in areas where housing is financially obtainable for their employees. What steps would you take to ensure housing is obtainable for current residents and newcomers? 

• To keep Spartanburg obtainable for everyone, we have to stop the "quantity over quality" mindset. Here is my approach:
  • Infrastructure-First Growth: Obtainability isn’t just about the mortgage; it’s about the total cost of living. When we build without adequate roads, residents pay for it in gas, time, and car repairs. I will only support growth where the infrastructure is already capable of handling it, steering development toward existing service hubs to keep costs down for everyone.
  • Protecting Long-Term Residents: Uncontrolled rezoning causes surrounding property values—and tax assessments—to skyrocket. This "Appreciation Trap" forces seniors and working families out of their homes. By implementing Smart Growth boundaries, we stabilize land values and keep the cost of living predictable for the people who have spent a lifetime building this county.
  • Prioritizing our Workforce: Right now, we are building for the highest bidder while our teachers, deputies, and nurses are being priced out. We must focus on housing options tied to our local employment centers so the people who keep Spartanburg running can actually afford to live here. You shouldn't have to choose between an affordable home and a two-hour commute.

Limiting economic development moves more of the tax burden to residents while also reducing job opportunities and the potential for higher wages. At the same time, economic growth must be managed with a focus on quality over quantity – a strategy that has seen some success with recent life science announcements, small business growth, and record per capita income. Would you work to continue high-quality job creation over low-impact growth? If not, how would you prevent increased tax burdens and declining opportunity for residents?

• I fully support the shift toward high-value, low-impact recruitment. A stagnant economy forces the tax burden onto homeowners, but "growth at any cost" has created our current infrastructure crisis. My strategy focuses on three areas:
  • Targeting High-Wage Sectors: I will continue the momentum in life sciences and advanced manufacturing. These industries provide "mortgage-paying" jobs for our residents while having a much smaller footprint on our roads than massive logistics warehouses.
  • Protecting the Taxpayer: To keep property taxes low, we must expand the industrial tax base. By recruiting companies that contribute more in tax revenue than they require in county services, we take the financial pressure off local families.
  • Quality Over Quantity: I will prioritize businesses that respect our infrastructure and invest in our local talent. My experience on the School Board allows me to bridge the gap between education and industry, ensuring our students are ready for high-paying roles right here at home. We don’t need more growth; we need better growth. I will work to recruit companies that raise our per capita income without lowering our quality of life.

OneSpartanburg Vision Plan 2.0 data indicated small business growth and creation below the national average. One goal of the Spartanburg County Vision Plan is to “strengthen the small and local business impact on the economy.” In 2023, the County and OneSpartanburg, Inc. partnered to create Power Up Spartanburg – a new initiative designed to make Spartanburg the best place in America to start or grow a small business. Since inception, the initiative has engaged 2,672 small businesses leading to measurable small business growth across the county. Would you support the continuation of Power Up Spartanburg? If so, why? If not, what specific plan would you implement to strengthen and grow small businesses across Spartanburg County? 

• I fully support the continuation of Power Up Spartanburg. As a small business owner, I know that local entrepreneurs are the backbone of our economy—they keep wealth in our community and create a unique sense of place. Here is why this initiative is vital:
  • Closing the Gap: Being below the national average in small business creation is a wake-up call. Power Up’s engagement with over 2,600 businesses proves there was an immense, untapped need for support and access to capital.
  • A Resilient Tax Base: Helping a local resident open a shop or service business is a cost-effective way to grow our economy. It diversifies our tax base so we aren't solely dependent on large-scale manufacturing or out-of-state developers.
  • Cutting Red Tape: My goal is to ensure "Power Up" is a county-wide mindset. We must examine our ordinances and permitting processes to ensure we aren't accidentally strangling local startups with unnecessary bureaucracy.

A healthy economy requires a balance of global industry and local grit. Accountability You Can Seay means investing in the neighbors who have the most to lose if our county doesn't succeed.

With the loss of public tournaments at the Upward Sports facility and its $15M annual impact, would you support investing in a new sports tourism facility (that would be available for residents’ use) if most of the funding is generated by visitors? If not, what is your alternative plan to replace this economic impact?

• I support investing in a new sports tourism facility, provided it is visitor-funded. The $15 million annual impact lost with the Upward facility shift must be recovered to keep our local economy strong and our property taxes low. Here is my plan to replace that impact:
  • Hospitality-Funded, Resident-Used: I will prioritize projects funded by Hospitality and Accommodations Taxes (taxes paid by visitors on hotel stays and meals). This allows tourists to foot the bill for a premier facility that our local families and youth leagues can use during the week.
  • Multipurpose Utility: We shouldn't build for just one sport. Any new facility must be a flexible, year-round venue for everything from basketball and volleyball to pickleball, ensuring a constant "Return on Investment" for our small businesses.
  • Community First: My support is conditional on guaranteed access for Spartanburg residents. This shouldn't just be a "tourist trap"; it must be a community asset that improves the quality of life for the people who live here.

Sports tourism is a clean, high-revenue industry. By making Spartanburg a destination for tournaments, we generate the tax revenue needed to maintain our county without asking local homeowners to pay more.