TRIBUTE: 'When he talked, people listened': County government leaders praise senator's impact

Feb. 28—A regional water system, industrial parks, a consolidated school system and enhanced health care facilities are among the things for which a longtime state legislator helped secure funds to improve the quality of life in Orangeburg County.

Sen. John W. Matthews Jr., who did not seek re-election in 2020 and retired after more than four decades in the General Assembly, is viewed by Orangeburg County Council members as a change agent in the procurement of state funding that helped to make development projects a reality.

"The senator taught my two older kids in school before he went into the House. I've known him well. He's a people person. I've been on council going on 26 years, and he worked well with council. Because of his seniority, Orangeburg County has benefited tremendously from his leadership over the years in both the economic and education departments," Orangeburg County Council Chairman Johnnie Wright said.

The council chairman said economics and education were two of Matthews' passions.

"He looked at the big picture. He was a deep thinker. He always called it cathedral thinking, which meant that you have to look way ahead even though you might not be able to see the ending of some of the things that you start," he said.

Wright continued, "That's the way he thought. He tried to do things to benefit all. He's going to leave a legacy here in Orangeburg County. He was like E.F. Hutton. When he talked, people listened. He tried to keep the peace balance."

Development of the Lake Marion Regional water system was one project in which Matthews was instrumental, Wright said.

Founded in 1994, the Lake Marion Regional water Agency serves Dorchester, Calhoun, Berkeley and Orangeburg counties and the Town of Santee. The LMRWA, working in partnership with Santee Cooper and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, has constructed more than 45 miles of water-transmission lines to provide clean drinking water, enhanced fire protection and economic growth.

"We can start there with the water system in Lake Marion right after I got on council in 1995. When we first started out in Holly Hill, it started out to be a county initiative. We found out that in order to get federal money, you have to show a regional approach to how you do that," Wright said.

"We met with Sen. Matthews, talked with him, and then 6th District Congressman Jim Clyburn got on board. He explained how it works up there in D.C. and what we needed to do. Then we started looking at the regional area of it, and we got the other counties involved," the chairman said.

He said one of the biggest supports that the senator provided was in securing funds to move the LMRWA concept forward. When the agency first started, it needed match money in order to get a lot of federal grant funding.

"So we got that tobacco settlement. The state helped the county get millions of dollars from that settlement. He was an instrumental part of that because he was our senator at that time. We got that, and we used that money toward kick starting the Lake Marion Regional Water (system) by using it for match money," he said.

Wright added, "Orangeburg County put more into than any of the other counties and then, of course, as time evolved we got other counties. We figured out a formula and figured out how people would help pay back some things and all that."

Councilman Johnny Ravenell said, "Sen. Matthews was very inspirational to his district and not only Orangeburg County, but his entire district. He did whatever he could and tried to put things in perspective."

"If there's any funding available, he did his part in trying to make sure that those funds were allocated and acquired and put into the right perspective so they could help his district, whether it be a regional water system, helping us to get roads paved or whatever we needed. He did his very best to help get funding for it," Ravenell said.

Councilman Willie B. Owens said, "Water is the lifeblood to our survival. If it were not for water, a lot of industry would not be here. A lot of people would not be here. We could not survive without a good system of water control."

Owens added, "Sen. Matthews was a major part of helping to move Orangeburg County forward. Without his help, we would not have accomplished many of the things that we did in Orangeburg. I know no other person who's done more for Orangeburg County than Sen. Matthews."

County Administrator Harold Young said, "Sen. Matthews has been very integral in all the water projects throughout the community. A lot of people committed to doing those projects based upon his leadership and what he brought to the table."

The administrator added, "He also helped to secure funding for all of the water projects what we were able to do in Bowman and Vance. He was integral in helping us lobby Congressman Clyburn to get funds for a lot of projects."

Wright said the council has enjoyed a good relationship with the Orangeburg County Legislative Delegation in working to improve the quality of life for residents.

"I'm not just singling him out. They were a part of it because they're all a part of Orangeburg. He was always instrumental with his colleagues to lead the charge," the chairman said.

Orangeburg County is home to several industrial sites, including the John W. Matthews Jr. Industrial Park. It was in 2004 that the council named the 500-acre park at U.S. 301 and Highway 176 in the legislator's honor.

Wright said Matthews — who was a member of Senate committees including the Finance, Banking and Insurance, Education and Ethics — was instrumental in providing state funding to bolster the county's economic development fund.

"He was instrumental in getting a lot of the funding for the industrial park that was named after him. So it's fitting because he also helped to acquire the land," Wright said.

"Politically, a lot of things work by seniority, and he was on all those important committees. By having that seniority and the kind of communication skills that he had across the table and everywhere else, he was able to sway a lot of things to come to our county."

Regarding the 450-acre Orangeburg County/City Industrial Park on U.S. 301 near Interstate 26, Wright said a lot of its growth came because of support from Matthews.

"It's almost completely full now. There is a lot of infrastructure and different things in there that he was instrumental in helping us acquire to grow that park also. He was instrumental in helping to acquire the property for all those parks on the eastern end of the county," the chairman said.

Young said, "The signature park that bears the senator's name was bought to be an economic engine for the eastern end of the county, and he has a lot to do with that. He also helped work with us to try to get funds for the new park that we're working on on Highway 21."

The Orangeburg County Power Site is a 700-acre site on U.S. Highway 21 that is served by both rail and utilities.

The county implemented a 1-cent sales tax to fund road, water and sewer projects to help build up its infrastructure base, with Matthews being "in that first group that had to convince the county council and the citizens at that time to participate in it," Young said.

Councilwoman Janie Cooper-Smith said Matthews helped improve the quality of life for the citizens of his district, particularly Orangeburg County, in more ways than one.

"Oh my goodness, he was responsible for making sure that his constituents enjoyed a better quality of life by bringing infrastructure, broadband, better health care facilities, the consolidation of schools from eight districts to three districts and then to one, and economic development," she said.

"Because he was so instrumental in bringing in jobs to this county, it was decided that we name our industrial park in his honor to honor him. I would say it's just a small honor to name that industrial park after him. The man was such an icon to this county," Cooper-Smith said.

The councilwoman said infrastructure development in which Matthews had a hand helped to transform Orangeburg County.

"You had people who had septic tanks before we were able to have sewer, along with unpaved roads. So infrastructure really means a whole lot to a rural county. We still have people who don't have broadband yet, but we have really come a long way within the years that he was in state office. Take away the years of Sen. Matthews and I don't want to see what Orangeburg looks like," she said.

Cooper-Smith added, "He helped to really make Orangeburg what it is. He didn't stop not one minute. He never said, 'I can't.' He was always trying. I really don't see how he got the energy to work with the counties that are part of his district. That's quite a bit of territory for somebody to handle ... but I know what he did for Orangeburg County."

Young said, "He's been very influential with me because he's been a mentor for me my whole career. Sen. Matthews has been a tremendous tenet for keeping the community together when different issues would come about.

"I can't one time remember him yelling or raising his voice. He was always a calm person with a calm demeanor. He brought strength to the room, but he also brought reason. I think that was a big thing for all of us to follow."

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