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Residents press Hartsville council over pledge and recognition requests during public comment
Summary
Two public commenters criticized council decisions and sought recognition for a longtime resident. One speaker protested perceived lack of support for the pledge, and another, Magda Serrano, said efforts to honor Mildred G. Bernal have stalled and alleged bias; staff responded that some follow-up had not occurred.
Two members of the public used the Hartsville City Council public-comment period on Dec. 10 to raise sharp concerns about ceremonial and recognition matters.
Ricky Fink introduced himself and said he was "here in protest" over council actions related to the pledge of allegiance. "I got 0 tolerance for that kind of doings," Fink said, adding he would support a candidate he named and oppose council members who, in his view, "won't support the flag." The presiding official asked whether Fink had viewed a video and confirmed Fink had only seen pictures.
Magda Serrano used her two minutes to press the council to publicly recognize Mildred G. Bernal for "lifetime service" and to seek a formal calendar proclamation (referred to as 'Angel Day' for Bernal's birthday, Aug. 29). Serrano said she had been directed between city staff and other offices and described the process as sending her "round and round and round." She said the two-minute time limit for public comment left citizens insufficient time to present their cases. "You don't give the citizen long enough time," Serrano said.
Serrano also alleged that "racism and sexism" had impeded progress on her requests and asked that the allegation be placed on the record. In response, an unidentified council participant acknowledged receipt of Serrano's email but said the city had not had contact with "Mr. Braddock" regarding St. Joseph and that staff had not followed up on the matter, indicating the issue remained unresolved. The presiding official invited Serrano to discuss details with staff outside the meeting and said managers could provide updates.
Context and next steps: Serrano said previous inquiries had yielded inconsistent guidance (e.g., being told a street is a state street), and she reported speaking with named staff members at City Hall; the manager later indicated staff would provide updates outside the public comment period. No formal council action on Serrano's requests or the pledge complaints was recorded during the meeting.
The meeting proceeded to other agenda business after the public-comment period ended.
