Tina Belge (Greenville City Council At-large, South Carolina, candidate 2025)
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Tina Belge (Democratic Party) is running for election to the Greenville City Council At-large in South Carolina. She is on the ballot in the general election on November 4, 2025.[source]
Belge completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. Click here to read the survey answers.
[1]Biography
Tina Belge provided the following biographical information via Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey on September 30, 2025:
- Birth date: November 6, 1990
- Birth place: Augusta, Georgia
- High school: Lakeside Highschool
- Bachelor's: Georgia Southern University, 2013
- Gender: Female
- Religion: Catholic
- Profession: Urban Planner
- Incumbent officeholder: No
- Campaign slogan: Planner for the People
- Campaign website
- Campaign endorsements
- Campaign Facebook
- Campaign Instagram
- Campaign YouTube video
Elections
General election
The general election will occur on November 4, 2025.
General election for Greenville City Council At-large
Tina Belge and Matt Alexander are running in the general election for Greenville City Council At-large on November 4, 2025.
Candidate | ||
Tina Belge (D)  | ||
| Matt Alexander (R) | ||
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| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Endorsements
To view Belge's endorsements as published by their campaign, click here. To send us an endorsement, click here.
Campaign themes
Ballotpedia survey responses
See also: Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection
Tina Belge completed Ballotpedia's Candidate Connection survey in 2025. The survey questions appear in bold and are followed by Belge's responses. Candidates are asked three required questions for this survey, but they may answer additional optional questions as well.
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My past roles include planner for Greenville County and the Greenville County Redevelopment Authority, Executive Director of Keep Greenville County Beautiful, Director of Policy and Advocacy for the Greenville Housing Fund, and candidate for SC Senate District 6. I’m also a former congressional intern and two-time AmeriCorps service member.
I founded the Young Voter Coalition to promote civic engagement among young people. I serve on the boards of the SC Women’s Affordable Housing Network, SC Women in Leadership, and am President of the Twin Lake Cottages HOA. I’m also active in the Summit Drive PTA and Meals on Wheels Young Professionals.
A Leadership Greenville Class 43 and Furman Women’s Leadership Institute alumna, I’ve served on several community boards and was honored as one of Greenville’s Best and Brightest Under 35.
Originally from the Upstate, I hold degrees from Georgia Southern University and UNC Chapel Hill’s MPA program with a focus in Community and Economic Development. I live in Greenville with my husband, Jacob, our two daughters, Sammy and Robin, and our dogs, Lily and Ruff.- Greenville needs housing our workforce can afford—from teachers and police officers to retail workers. With average mortgages at $3,600 and nearly 60% of homes now rentals, we're losing local balance and investment. We must also retain young families and lifelong residents. Solutions include supporting missing middle housing, smart infill, development incentivized where we can handle growth, and tools like land trusts, co-ops, tiny homes subdivisions and vacant parcel strategies to help build affordable homeownership and equity for renters. Permanent supportive housing and housing first is critical for our homeless neighbors. My experience centers on innovative policy and funding solutions to make this possible.
- I'm working to expand public transit with 30-minute bus and trolley routes, longer operating hours, and park and ride to surrounding cities. My plan boosts ridership to ease traffic (100k+ commuters daily) without raising taxes. Instead, we’ll fund improvements through smart tech that manages traffic lights in real time and fines speeders, texters, and red-light runners. This approach accelerates transit upgrades, creates safer streets, and lets law enforcement focus on public safety—not traffic stops.
- Development shouldn't cost us our environment. We've lost too many trees—especially after recent storms. I helped strengthen Greenville’s tree ordinance without raising housing costs, and now the City has $3M in tree fees but no plan. I'd like to remove dead trees ahead of hurricane season and I'm pushing for a dedicated tree canopy and open space plan to guide replanting, partner with homeowners, and protect our natural assets. This plan would also prioritize long-overlooked neighborhood parks. Let’s grow a greener, more sustainable Greenville—together.
What makes it so important is the ability to connect the dots between state resources and local priorities. We’re the bridge that brings state support to communities that need it most, making sure no one gets left behind. That means understanding the specific needs of our neighborhoods while navigating the bigger legal and political systems.
This office also has the power to influence policy in ways that affect everything from zoning rules to public transit funding to environmental protections. Those may sound like technical issues, but they shape who can live where, how we get around, and how healthy and sustainable our city and state remain. Getting those policies right means creating opportunities for families and businesses, protecting green spaces, and building a community that’s welcoming for everyone.
I also think this office is important because it requires someone who can listen well, collaborate, and find common ground—especially in times when politics can feel polarized. It’s a job that’s about bringing people together to solve real problems, not just scoring points.
To me, that means showing up, doing the hard work, and remaining grounded in the real-world challenges that people face every day. Whether it's housing affordability, public transit, or preserving green space, elected officials need to understand how policy decisions ripple through the lives of working families, seniors, young professionals, and small business owners alike.
We need leaders who are data-informed and results-driven, but who also lead with empathy. It’s not enough to have good intentions—you have to be willing to roll up your sleeves, build coalitions, and push for practical solutions that move us forward. I've seen firsthand how meaningful change happens: through collaboration, perseverance, and a willingness to bridge divides.
I also believe deeply in equity and accountability. That means ensuring every neighborhood has a voice and a seat at the table. It means making government accessible and transparent, so people feel empowered—not excluded—by the process.
Lastly, it’s about vision. We need officials who can connect short-term actions with long-term goals: resilient infrastructure, affordable housing, safer streets, thriving local businesses, and a greener, healthier community for the next generation.
It means showing up consistently—not just during campaign season—but being present in neighborhoods, at community meetings, and with people who don’t always feel heard. It means listening before deciding, and using the tools of government to solve problems, not kick them down the road. From zoning and land use to transit and green space, these decisions shape people’s daily lives. We need leaders who understand that.
An elected official should also focus on balancing development with livability, supporting small businesses, investing in infrastructure, and making sure our communities are safe, walkable, and affordable. Housing policy isn’t abstract to me—I’ve spent my career working on these issues. I know what it takes to move good ideas from the page to the real world: collaboration, public input, and persistence.
This role also comes with the responsibility to protect public dollars and ensure transparency in how they’re used. I believe strongly in accountability—not just checking a box, but measuring outcomes, communicating with residents, and being honest when things fall short.
Most importantly, this office is about vision and equity. It's about building a city where everyone—no matter their zip code, job, or background—has the opportunity to thrive.
For example, this office often plays a key role in shaping local land use and zoning policies that determine how neighborhoods grow and change. That might sound dry, but zoning decisions influence everything from whether we have affordable housing options, to where businesses can operate, to how green spaces are preserved. These choices directly affect who can live in a community, how walkable or connected neighborhoods are, and how resilient a city can be.
Another often-overlooked responsibility is the ability to drive funding priorities for infrastructure and public services. This office helps decide how resources flow—whether it’s for expanding public transit, improving roads, or supporting essential programs like mental health and housing assistance. These decisions can either open doors or create barriers for people who need help the most.
There’s also an important role in community engagement and transparency. It’s about more than just holding meetings; it’s about truly connecting with residents who don’t always feel like their voices matter. This office has the power—and the responsibility—to make government accessible and accountable, breaking down complicated processes and ensuring people understand how policies affect them.
When you’ve worked within government or political systems, you learn how to navigate these complexities and build the relationships necessary to get things done. That institutional knowledge helps avoid common pitfalls and accelerates the ability to deliver real results for the community. It also means you understand the long-term implications of decisions and can better anticipate unintended consequences.
I’ve seen firsthand how those with government experience are often better positioned to advocate effectively for their constituents because they know the channels for change and have credibility with stakeholders at all levels. Experience fosters patience, persistence, and a strategic mindset—qualities essential for tackling big challenges like affordable housing, infrastructure, and environmental protection.
That said, I also believe that experience should be paired with a fresh perspective and a deep commitment to public service. But having a foundation of government experience equips elected officials with the tools and context they need to hit the ground running. It makes them more effective collaborators and more capable leaders.
Expertise in housing policy, urban planning, and economic development is particularly important, given the pressing challenges our communities face. Issues like affordable housing, transit access, and equitable growth require leaders who can navigate complex regulations and connect dots across sectors. Having a background that blends policy with on-the-ground experience helps ensure solutions are realistic and impactful.
Beyond technical skills, strong communication and listening skills are critical. This office is about representing a diverse community, which means engaging with residents from all walks of life, understanding their concerns, and building trust. The ability to listen deeply and communicate clearly helps foster collaboration and ensures policies reflect real community needs.
Another vital skill is collaboration. Government is never a solo act. Success requires working with fellow elected officials, local agencies, nonprofits, businesses, and residents. Being able to build coalitions, find common ground, and navigate differing viewpoints is key to moving policy forward.
Lastly, I’d emphasize strategic thinking and adaptability. Challenges in this role are complex and evolving—from economic shifts to environmental concerns—so leaders need to be able to analyze data, anticipate consequences, and pivot when necessary.
This role really requires someone who can see the big picture while also understanding how local decisions affect real people in their everyday lives. We’re talking about things like housing affordability, transportation, parks, small business support, and neighborhood safety—issues that touch everyone but might look different in each part of the city. It’s a balancing act that takes listening, empathy, and a lot of collaboration.
Because the role covers the entire city, it also means being a connector—bringing together voices from different neighborhoods, backgrounds, and perspectives. That makes it an opportunity to build bridges and create unity around shared goals, even when people don’t always agree on every detail.
City Council at-large members also have a big role in setting priorities for the city budget and guiding policy that shapes how Greenville grows and develops. That’s powerful because these decisions impact the quality of life for all residents—from the schools and roads to public safety and environmental protections.
I also love that this role is so close to the community. It’s not about being distant or political—it’s about rolling up your sleeves, showing up where people are, and being accountable to everyone you represent. It’s an office where you get to combine vision with practical problem-solving every day.
Note: Ballotpedia reserves the right to edit Candidate Connection survey responses. Any edits made by Ballotpedia will be clearly marked with [brackets] for the public. If the candidate disagrees with an edit, he or she may request the full removal of the survey response from Ballotpedia.org. Ballotpedia does not edit or correct typographical errors unless the candidate's campaign requests it.
See also
2025 Elections
External links
Footnotes
