Joe Bustos Running on Record

Mount Pleasant heads to the polls Tuesday, November 8, to fill four seats on the town council. Three incumbents and six challengers are running for the at-large posts. This week, Mount Pleasant Patch will profile all the candidates.

From his cockpit office, Joe Bustos has a unique view of Mount Pleasant, and he says that perspective is the reason he’s on the ballot again this election season.

As a flight instructor, Bustos flies daily over the creeks, marshland and sprawling real estate and commercial developments East of the Cooper River. From the sky, the retired Army lieutenant colonel gets an eye-full of how the town is growing.

“This is the reason why I’m running,” Bustos says while flying over Highway 17 during busy morning traffic. “You really see how the town is growing, how far we’ve come and where we should be going and where we shouldn’t.”

Read profiles of all the candidates.

This isn’t his first foray into local politics. Bustos served nine years on the council before running unsuccessfully in 2009 for mayor. He also sought the Republican nomination in 2008 and 2011 for a state house seat.

“This is really all about service to me,” Bustos said. “Over 38 years, in the Army and on the town council, I’ve tried to serve people in the best way I know how.”

Bustos says the town will need a steady hand as it navigates uncertain financial waters. He cites the town’s aging infrastructure – roads and public buildings – along with increased costs faced by retiree healthcare benefits, as reasons the town needs him in office again.

“We don’t have any money set aside for road maintenance,” Bustos said. “And employee healthcare benefits are underfunded by $1 million a year.”

Over the next four years, the town council will need to solve those problems, and Bustos says a tax hike isn’t right, even though Mount Pleasant has kept the same millage rate for nearly two decades.

“The incumbents avoided a tax increase because they’ve raised fees every time it’s come up,” Bustos said. “But eventually fees … get passed onto the homeowner or consumer. … I’m the only one that had a reputation for standing up to those fees.”

He thinks the town can manage its finances smarter by avoiding costly expansions of government. He points to the newly opened Shem Creek Park, which he admits is nice, but it comes with upkeep costs.

“Those projects create the need for more employees, more retirements, more benefits and it grows government at a very bad time,” Bustos said.

Bustos thinks his experience makes him best for the job. Growing up in Mount Pleasant, years before all the development, and then traveling while in the military, adds to his knowledge, he said.

“I’m constantly trying to better myself and seek constant improvement,” Bustos said. “That’s what I’ll bring to the council every day. I’ll ask how we can constantly improve.”

ABOUT BUSTOS
www.votebustos.com
Age: 61
Personal: Married, two adult children
Professional: Owner, Bustos Travel Service; flight instructor, Coastal Aviation; retired U.S. Army Lt. Colonel.
Education: Master's degree from Central Michigan University; undergraduate degree from Columbia College in Missouri.
Previous elected office: Nine years on town council.
Why he's running: “The reason I’m running for town council is about experience and service. For over 38 years, between the Army, five years on the Charleston Police Department, and nine years on the Mount Pleasant Town Council … I feel my judgment and experience will be important in the years moving forward.”