SPARTANBURG, S.C. — Louie Blanton closed out 32 years as a Spartanburg Sanitary Sewer District commissioner this week with the state’s top civilian award pinned to his record.
State Rep. Scott Montgomery presented the honor for Gov. Henry McMaster, who approved it, during the chair’s final meeting with the commission, Spartanburg Water said. Voters first put Blanton on the commission in 1994 and kept returning him to the seat.
Governor John C. West created the Order of the Palmetto in 1971 to honor South Carolinians for a lifetime of service and achievement.
The district grew sharply on Blanton’s watch. Its assets rose from $50.5 million when he joined to $317.1 million now, and yearly revenue now reaches $55 million, up from $6.7 million. Fund equity has swelled to nearly $178 million, compared with $27.7 million in 1994.
Spartanburg Water, which combines the sewer district and the Spartanburg Water System, serves more than 240,000 people in Spartanburg County plus pieces of Cherokee, Greenville and Union counties. Utility CEO Guy Boyle credited Blanton with careful planning that helped the system keep pace with a growing city.
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