Jay In the News

CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) - A competitive race is forming to see who will replace U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace in Congress and Dorchester County Councilman Jay Byars believes he’s the man for the job. After 14 years of representing the people of Dorchester County, Byars says he’s ready to start tackling the problems of the First Congressional District by building bridges, not burning them. “Nancy does things very differently than I do. I think we have someone who is adept at burning br

The speculation is over. At the Ashley River Park amphitheater on Wednesday, Sept. 17, Dorchester County Council member and Summerville resident Jay Byars launched a campaign to be the United States Representative of South Carolina’s 1st Congressional District, pairing national themes with day-to-day Lowcountry concerns. “This decision has been a difficult one and a long time in the making,” he said. “(My wife) Amber and I have prayed over it many times. I love the job that I

Dorchester County Councilman Jay Byars, who also chairs the county's Parks and Recreation Commission, told reporter Isabelle Altman that his county suffered from a dearth of recreational options a decade ago, but that's begun to change. "I hope everybody is awfully excited about what they're going to participate in because we feel like this is just the start," Mr. Byars said. "This is the cornerstone from which we're going to build a great countywide park system." If we don't

SUMMERVILLE — Dorchester County’s efforts to preserve green space continue with a new park that will be over 300 acres. Off Miles Jamison Road and behind Eugene Sires Elementary School, Pine Trace Natural Area is described by County Councilman Jay Byars as an “urban forest.” The $10 million park will include a 6-acre pond where guests can kayak, paddleboard and fish; several picnic shelters and walking trails; dog parks; a playground; and an 18-hole disc golf course. There ar

Just as Berkeley County recently leapt at an important park opportunity  near Daniel Island before finalizing its approach to spending new conservation and park dollars, Dorchester County has made a similar move near the Ashley River. And like the Berkeley purchase, the Dorchester decision is a smart one.  County Council's recent $9 million purchase of a 110-acre tract just upriver from its popular new Ashley River Park marks its first big decision in the wake of voters' 202

Dorchester County Councilman Jay Byars is a serious candidate, a veteran of local government who’s focused on conservation, overdevelopment and traffic. As I wrote in September, Byars is so fixated on concrete issues (as opposed to the culture wars) that his campaign announcement was refreshing. It seems Byars was a trendsetter. At the other end of the 1st District, Beaufort County Councilman Logan Cunningham talks about the same sort of issues that Byars and Honeycutt do...

Byars said he wants to go to Washington to fix a broken system, and get federal funding to improve local infrastructure that is 40 years out of date. He’d like to cut the federal red tape that can delay road projects by two decades, which is how long it took to get all the permits for the newly opened Berlin G. Myers extension. He also wants to protect federal land, which some lawmakers and the current administration have proposed selling, so developers can’t buy the Francis