District 5 Councilman Dukes finally sworn-in

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District 5 finally has representation on Manning City Council.

Two-and-a-half years after the death of former Councilman Gregory Witherspoon, local businessman Julius Dukes Jr. was sworn in Monday night to the seat, more than two years after winning a special runoff against opponent Gloria Frierson.

"After two years of waiting, I'm happy to be able to serve," Dukes said Monday night. "That's two years that District 5 has been going without representation in this city. There are a lot of things needing to be done in District 5. There are a lot of issues that need to be addressed. I'm ready to get to work."

Born and raised in Clarendon County, a son of Julius Dukes Sr. and Vernice Dukes, Dukes continues to run his late father's shoe repair store. He is a 1970 graduate of Manning Training School, and worked in several industries in and out of state before joining his father in the family business.

"Now, we're the only shoe repair store in the county," he said. "It's a dying art, but I enjoy my work. I enjoy meeting people and helping them with their needs."

Having worked with people all his life, Dukes said running for City Council back in 2014 was a no-brainer.

"I like helping others," he said. "I felt like being a councilman would help me really have a voice and that I could help the people in my district."

Dukes has dutifully attended nearly every City Council meeting since winning a special runoff held in late July 2014 after a special election whittled the race down to him and Frierson. But he has never been able to sit with fellow council members or vote on issues.

Frierson lost the election by one vote, but filed a protest with the city Election Commission, claiming that two votes were counted from those who weren't residents of District 5. The commission rejected her protest, and Frierson took her grievance further in the 3rd Circuit common pleas court. There, in October 2014, 3rd Circuit Court Judge W. Jeffrey Young singed an order upholding the runoff.

Frierson filed a motion to appeal, but according to attorney David Weeks, she withdrew the appeal earlier this month, and Young dismissed the appeal.

Dukes will serve the remainder of Witherspoon's term, which began in April 2014 and will end April 2018. That only gives him about a year-and-a-half to accomplish his goals.

"I cannot say at this time if I will run for re-election," he said. "I'm just excited to get to work for the residents in my district."

Dukes said his district needs recreation areas for its children, and that roads need to be paved.

"We need the trees that are hanging over highways and electric lines to be cleaned up," he said. "We need sidewalks. Our children have no recreation areas they can go to. They need some place they can go play without the fear of being run over in the street by a vehicle."

Dukes said more police need to patrol the district for speeders.

"We need to cut down on the speeding in this area where kids are out and about," he said.

Dukes said he is hopeful to meet with Police Chief Blair Shaffer and Fire Chief Mitch McElveen to assess his district's needs.

"I would like to meet with them and ride around and see some of these illegal things that are maybe going on, so that we can do something about it in order to try and save our children," he said.

Dukes said he could not have made it through the past two years waiting without the help of his wife, Josephine Dukes, and his mother. He also thanked his attorney, Shaun Kent of Kent Law Firm.

"They all stood by me as I waited for this decision," Dukes said. "I couldn't have done it without him."

Dukes and his wife have two children, Julius Dukes III and Quinton Dukes.