Susie Hinton to vacate Rock Hill City Council seat

A new seat on Rock Hill City Council will soon be opening up. City councilwoman Susie Hinton says she’s moving outside the boundaries of her Ward 1 district, meaning she will be vacating her seat.

In a release Tuesday from the city, spokeswoman Katie Quinn says a special election will be called to fill the remainder of Hinton’s term. State law provides for Hinton to continue serving in a de facto role until a replacement can be elected. Details have not yet been finalized as to when that special election will take place.

Hinton was first elected in October 2007 and inaugurated to Council on January 14, 2008, filling the seat previously filled for 27 years by the late Winston Searles. She was re-elected to a second term that began in January 2012, running unopposed for both elections.

“I’ve enjoyed serving Rock Hill as a council member the past four and a half years. Even though my time on Council will be coming to an end, I plan to continue serving my community in a different capacity,” Hinton said. “I feel blessed to have worked with my fellow council members, the residents of Ward 1 and the community as a whole.”

Councilmember Hinton served as Mayor Pro-Tempore from February 2010 to January 2012, which also put her in the role of Traffic Commission Chair during that same timeframe. She is a former member of the City’s Cemetery Committee, and current member of the Housing Development Corporation of Rock Hill Board of Directors. Hinton was recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Catawba Regional Council of Governments.

During her tenure on Council, Hinton’s professional accomplishments include graduating in February 2009 from the Municipal Association of South Carolina’s (MASC) Municipal Elected Officials Institute of Government; being recognized for successful completion of the Gold Certificate-Leadership Ambassador level in the Certificate of Achievement in Leadership program in November 2011; formerly serving a three-year term on the MASC Board of Directors; and currently serving on the National League of Cities Leadership Training Council. Prior to her election to City Council, Hinton graduated from Inside Rock Hill, a 10-week civics program offered by the Housing & Neighborhood Services department.

Councilmember Hinton is a passionate volunteer and community activist, working with St. Mary Catholic Church, the Rock Hill Branch of the NAACP, Rock Hill Christian Educators Association International and Central City Optimist Club. Councilmember Hinton is very active at St. Mary Catholic Church as a lector, Eucharistic minister, prayer coordinator and adult religious education teacher.

An advocate for education, Hinton has served as Principal, Acting Principal, Vice Principal, Master Teacher and Mentor. She was a participant in the American Leadership Forum, Hartford Principals and Supervisor’s Association, Education Policy Fellowship, Statewide Principals’ Network for Effective Schools Project and others.