Billy


Te town Swails


of Mount Pleasant has grown expo-


nentially during the past half century, from 5,116 residents in 1960 to 67,843 in 2010, but Swails’ attitude toward the value of hard work hasn’t changed a bit. Tough he puts in full-time hours as mayor, the position, and the $24,000 per year salary, are officially part- time. His real job, the one that pays the bills, is as a State Farm insurance agent. Over the years, Swails, who graduated from Moultrie High School and attended Te Citadel and Charleston Southern Univer- sity, has always found the time to serve his town and its residents. He was a councilman from 1976 to 1984, then again from 2006 until he won the mayoral election, and he has coached


more rewarding or pay higher dividends,” he remarked. Te national recognition the


town earned last year must have come close, however. Swails was among 41 Mount Pleasant residents who traveled to Kansas City, Mo., to convince the judges that their town deserved to be a 2010 All-America City. Teir efforts were rewarded. “It was quite a thrill, I’ll


tell you,” Swails said. “When I was first elected, I said let’s go for it. We raised $18,000 and put together a 10-min- ute dog and pony show. We chose three projects: the $5 swimming lessons for kids, the revitalization of Coleman Boulevard and the construction


and sponsored youth football, base- ball, basketball, soccer and volley- ball teams for more than 30 years. “No public service could be


on Johnnie Dodds Boulevard.” Part of the money the town raised to compete for All-America City honors came from what should have


8


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