More times than not, the distance between government officials and the people they serve is thought to be too large. This causes the people to question if their government actually has their best interests at heart.
For someone who lives in the same community they serve, their best interests and their community’s best interests are the same.
Jim Reno’s government job is contingent upon not only his experience and his willingness to serve the community, but his home address as well. As a Ward 6 councilmember, Reno lives within his ward and his address is easily accessible to other citizens living within his ward.
“Ward 6, in Rock Hill, goes along the Winthrop campus. It takes in a few of the nearby neighborhoods and runs basically past the Winthrop Coliseum and all the way out to the Riverwalk development and along Cherry Road as well,” Reno said. “Then it kind of hooks over across Celanese Road and gets some of the neighborhoods and apartments near 77 all the way back to Mt. Gallant Road. And there’s also a neighborhood behind Oakland Baptist Church, so it kind of runs in that direction as well.”
The city of Rock Hill has six wards. The Rock Hill City Council is made up of the mayor, John Gettys, and the six ward council members, one of which is Reno.
“The officials of the City of Rock Hill are elected by the citizens of Rock Hill,” according to cityofrockhill.com. “The Mayor is elected at-large for a four-year term. Six Council members are elected by wards and serve four-year staggered terms.”
According to Reno, all 6 wards of a city have similar populations, but the number of registered voters and other voter characteristics will be different in each ward. A council person makes decisions for the entire city through the majority vote of the council. The council person works on issues for the residents of their ward as they reach out and seek assistance.
Reno, a Rock Hill native, is an active member of the community, not only because of his role as councilmember of Ward 6, but also because of multiple other titles he holds around South Carolina, including vice president and business banker at First Citizens Bank.
“I serve on the Rocky Hill Economic Development Corporation and also on our local or regional transportation planning group. It’s called Rock Hill, Fort Mill Area Transportation Study Committee,” Reno said.
He is also a Deacon at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
“He is a thoughtful Christian and a faithful person in terms of leadership and responsibility,” Pastor Mike Honeycutt of Westminster Presbyterian Church said. “I just think that he’s a man of integrity. I deeply respect and admire him. … He’s just a great person and he and his wife, Melissa, have raised great children.”
Reno’s family members are also native Carolinians who still live and work in the Carolinas.
“I am married with three children,” Reno said. “27, 25 and 19. My oldest two are daughters and they were basically two and six months old when I first ran for office and my son was not born at the time, so they have known my service to the city for basically their entire lives.”
In his spare time, Reno likes to exercise and walk around downtown Rock Hill.
“I also love different kinds of sports like college football, college basketball, and typically, my interest is either in the University of Tennessee or Clemson,” Reno said. “I am a season ticket holder [for Winthrop basketball] and when I was at the thing for one of the presidential candidates the other night, I went over after and caught the second half.”
Reno’s proudest accomplishment from his 24 years he has served as council member so far has a lot to do with the growth of downtown Rock Hill.
“The downtown area used to be two steps backwards and one forward. We made some tough decisions and over time, we took some criticism, but we had a goal, and are now so very proud now to see the vibrancy of downtown and the growth we went through,” Reno said. “We’re continuing to have more opportunities. … We have Food Truck Fridays [for example] and we’re at a point where we’re having more things offered to our citizens.”
Because Winthrop University’s campus is within Ward 6, the work that Reno does as Ward 6 councilmember impacts Winthrop students.
“One of our goals was to make sure we’re attracting the talent out of Winthrop, out of York Tech, and out of Clinton College so students stay here once they graduate. It’s not just about the job. It’s about the things we can provide in the area. So, that’s one thing I’m very proud of,” Reno said. “In the past, when Dr. DiGiorgio was the president, he and I would meet annually, and he would share his vision and how he saw the city being able to partner and so, I’ve always considered Winthrop a key element in the city’s success. A successful university in a successful city. I’m hopeful when the new president comes on board that we’ll start that relationship back.”
Reno has a desire to improve Rock Hill transportation and make the city more walkable for those without cars, especially Winthrop students.
“I enjoy how much Rock Hill has grown and the new restaurants and going into the downtown, having a nice meal, and walking around and seeing the beauty,” Reno said.
