Jun 08, 2026 Clarendon County Council

UP, WE HAVE THE APPROVAL OF THE MINUTES FROM LAST MONTH'S MEETING.

ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

[5. Approval of Minutes]

DO I HAVE A MOTION? WE APPROVE THOSE MINUTES.

MOTION GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN RODIN.

SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON.

OUR SERVICE AWARD, RECOGNI RECOGNITION WITH MR. LEONARD LOWRY, OUR HR DIRECTOR.

ALL OPPOSED? AND THAT MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT WE HAVE

[6. Service Awards Recognition – Leonard Lowery, HR Director]

GOOD EVENING, MR. CHAIR, COUNCIL AND CITIZENS OF CLAREDON COUNTY.

THIS EVENING WE WILL RECOGNIZE THREE EMPLOYEES FOR THEIR YEARS OF SERVICE.

THE FIRST EMPLOYEE, DIRECTOR OF PLANNING.

MS. TABITHA HANNAH, FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE.

THE NEXT EMPLOYEE, CORPORAL WILLIAM M. JONES.

THANK YOU MS. HANNAH.

THE NEXT EMPLOYEE, CRYSTAL HYMAN, ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.

FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE, COUNTY ROBES.

FIVE YEARS OF SERVICE, THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT.

ALRIGHT, LET'S GIVE ALL OF THESE EMPLOYEES A ROUND OF APPLAUSE.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

CONGRATULATIONS AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.

[7. Public Comments (Total of five (5) available speaking spots, three (3) minutes per speaker)]

NEXT WE HAVE OUR PUBLIC COMMENT SECTION AND WE ONLY HAD ONE PERSON SIGN UP TONIGHT.

AND THAT IS MR. WILLIE BRIGGS.

WHO WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT GRASS CUTTING.

GOOD EVENING.

EVENING.

ALRIGHT, THIS IS GONNA BE VERY SHORT.

WELL, I'M TALKING ABOUT THE GRASS CUTTING BECAUSE LAST YEAR WE HAD OVER 475,000, UH, LYME DISEASE CASES.

UH, THESE TICKS THAT CAUGHT UP ON YOU ABOUT YOUR KIDS.

THIS THING OF AFFECT THEIR BRAINS.

AND THIS YEAR, THEY'RE WORSE THIS YEAR THAN LAST YEAR.

THEY HAD IT ON THE NEWS TODAY, DR. DAY, BUT THIS YEAR THE COLD IN THE NORTHERN STATE, THE COLD KINDA LIKE KILLED THE TICKS DURING THE WINTER.

BUT THIS YEAR THEY HAVE MORE TICKS UP IN THE NORTH PART OF THE COUNTRY THAN THEY EVER DID.

HAD LIKE THE

[00:05:01]

COLD WEATHER DIDN'T DID ANYTHING TO THEM.

BUT I'M TALKING ABOUT SOUTH CAROLINA BECAUSE I GOTTA TAKE OFF MY GRANDSON AS WE WALK DOWN THE HIGHWAY.

DURING MY DAILY WALK, I NORMALLY WALK BETWEEN ONE MILE TO THREE MILES AND SOMETIMES HE WALK WITH ME, BUT I TICK WILL CRAWL UP ON HIS PANTS AS I HAPPEN TO SEE.

BECAUSE WHEN THE CORALS COME, YOU GOT TO GET OUT THE ROAD AND STAIN THE GRASS.

WELL, YOU HAVE WEEDS AND GRASS STANDING UP TO ABOUT UP TO YOUR KNEE THAT WHERE THE TICKS AT, AND THEY CLICK ONTO AN AMBULANCE AS THEY PASS BY.

WHEN WE HAD EMPLOYEES GETTING PAID 11, $12,000 A YEAR, THEY KEPT THE GRASS CUT.

PEOPLE JUST WALKED THREE MILES A SUMMER TO, WITH NO PROBLEM, STEP OUT THE ROAD.

THE WEED WASN'T UP TO THE KNEES.

BUT NOW WE HAVE CONTRACTED STUFF OUT AND SAID THEY CUT THE GRASS THAT THEY FEEL LIKE THEY MIGHT WAIT TWO MONTHS BEFORE THEY CUT THE GRASS.

THE GRASS.

SO I'M SPEAKING TO LET YOU KNOW, THIS COULD BE A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM.

THOSE WHO DRIVE ALL THE TIME, DON'T NEVER WALK, PROBABLY DON'T MEAN ANYTHING TO YOU.

BUT WE HAVE QUITE A FEW CLARIN COUNTY OF PEOPLE LIKE TO WALK THE ROAD FOR EXERCISE TRYING TO IMPROVE THEIR LIFE.

AND IF YOU CUT THE GRASS AT LEAST TWICE A MONTH, AT LEAST ONCE A MONTH, IT TRIES TO KEEP THE TALL WEEDS DOWN BECAUSE THE NEXT TIME IT COULD BE YOUR GRANDCHILD GET BITE BY, UH, A TICK.

SO THAT'S WHY I JUST WANNA SAY ACTUALLY TO PLEASE KEEP THE GRASS CUT BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAD THE EMPLOYEES THAT AREN'T MAKING $12,000, THE POTHOLE IN THE HIGHWAY WAS, WAS TAKEN CARE OF.

THE DIRT ROAD IS MUCH BETTER THAN WHAT THEY ARE NOW.

AND THE GRASS WAS BEING CUT, NEVER HAD A PROBLEM ON THIS LEVEL.

BUT ONCE AGAIN, LAST YEAR, THE REPORTS SAY THERE WERE 407, 6 CASES OF LYME DISEASE AND IT REALLY COULD MESS YOUR KID UP FOR LIFE.

NEXT WE HAVE A REQUEST FOR HOSPITALITY FUNDS FROM JEFFREY AND HARRIET LAMPKINS FOUNDATION REGARDING SUMMER ARTS INSTITUTE, EXTRAVAGANZA.

MEHER WILLIE? MM-HMM .

[8. Request – Hospitality Fund]

GOOD EVENING COUNCIL MEMBERS.

UM, SO FIRST LEMME SAY THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR ALLOWING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO COME BACK AND PRESENT AGAIN.

UM, AND I BELIEVE YOU ALL DID RECEIVE THE UPDATED DOCUMENT BEFOREHAND.

OUTSTANDING.

SO FOR OVER THE PAST DECADE, THE JEFFREY AND HARRIET LAMPKIN FOUNDATION HAVE INVESTED IN CLAREN COUNTY, UM, THROUGH YOUTH DEVELOPMENT, SENIOR PROGRAMMING, AND ADDITIONAL SERVICES AS SUCH.

AND ONE OF THOSE SERVICES HAS BEEN THE SUMMER ARTS INSTITUTE WHERE YOUNG PEOPLE COME FROM ALL OVER CLAREDON COUNTY, SUMTER COUNTY, LEE COUNTY, WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, TO PARTICIPATE IN THIS SUMMER CAMP.

AND WE ARE NOT ASKING YOU FOR ASSISTANCE TO RUN THE SUMMER CAMP, BUT WE ARE ASKING, UM, FOR AN INVESTMENT THAT HELPS BRINGS VISITORS TO CLARENDON COUNTY FOR THE SUMMER ARTS EXTRAVAGANZA, WHICH TAKES PLACE ON THAT THURSDAY.

NOW, HOSPITALITY TAX DOLLARS EXIST TO PROMOTE TOURISM AND TO GENERATE ECONOMIC ACTIVITY.

AND SO WE ARE REQUESTING A TOTAL OF $10,000, WHICH WILL BE 7,000, WHICH WILL BE USED FOR REGIONAL MARKETING AND ADVERTISING.

AND THEN 3000 THAT WE'RE GONNA USE FOR ARTIST TRAVEL AND ACCOMMODATIONS.

AND ALL OF THIS WILL BE DIRECTLY TIED BACK INTO CLARENDON COUNTY, UM, AND INTO ATTRACTING VISITORS INTO CLARENDON COUNTY.

AND WHEN WE TALK ABOUT THE ECONOMIC IMPACT THAT'S GOING TO TAKE PLACE, WE'RE PROJECTING A FOUR TO ONE INVESTMENT THAT'S GOING TO RETURN BACK INTO THE COUNTY BASED ON THE AMOUNT OF VISITORS WHO ARE EXPECTED TO COME ON THAT DATE.

UM, OF COURSE WE'RE ALSO ASKING FOR THE USE OF WELDON AUDITORIUM, WHICH THE CLARINET COUNTY COUNCIL HAS PARTNERED WITH US OVER THE PAST THREE YEARS FOR THE USE OF, UM, WELDON AUDITORIUM.

AND WE ARE TRULY APPRECIATIVE OF THAT.

AND SO WE'RE ASKING FOR THE PARTNERSHIP AND THE USE OF THAT FROM JULY 6TH THROUGH THE 10TH FROM 5:00 PM UNTIL 9:00 PM SO THAT THE YOUNG PEOPLE WILL BE ABLE TO COME, THEY'LL HAVE A SPACE THAT'S COMFORTABLE WHERE THEY'LL BE ABLE TO TAKE ALL OF THEIR CLASSES AND TO DO EVERYTHING.

AND THEN OF COURSE, ON THAT THURSDAY, THE ENTIRE, UM, FROM CLARINET COUNTY, RICHLAND COUNTY AND BEYOND, THEY COME AND THEY GET TO SEE ALL OF THE GREAT THINGS THAT TOOK PLACE ON THAT WEEK.

UM, ONE POINT THAT I DO WANT TO ADDRESS THAT I KNOW, UM, HAS BEEN TALKED ABOUT, AND IT'S BEEN A COMMON MISCONCEPTION, WAS, UM, STATE APPROPRIATIONS THAT WAS GIVEN TO THE FOUNDATION THAT WAS BACK IN 2024 WHEN THOSE STATE APPROPRIATIONS WERE GIVEN TO THE FOUNDATION.

IT WAS IN 2024.

OF COURSE, WE'VE BEEN DOING THE WORK SINCE 2012.

THAT WAS THE FIRST TIME THAT WE EVER RECEIVED ANY TYPE OF APPROPRIATION FROM THE STATE.

AND WHEN YOU RECEIVE APPROPRIATIONS FROM THE STATE, YOU HAVE ONE YEAR TO SPEND THOSE

[00:10:01]

APPROPRIATIONS.

AND I ALSO WANT TO ADD THAT THOSE APPROPRIATIONS WAS NOT FOR HOSPITALITY, THEY WERE FOR OTHER THINGS.

AND WE HAVE TO FOLLOW ACCORDING TO STATE GUIDELINES, HOW WE USE THAT MONEY, WHICH OF COURSE HAS BEEN USED, UM, TO FEED CLARINET COUNTY, WHICH, UM, IT WAS SUMTER COUNTY, IT WAS OTHER THINGS THAT WAS ON THERE AS WELL.

SO I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE THAT THE STATE APPROPRIATIONS AND THE HOSPITALITY FUNDS, THEY SERVE TWO ENTIRELY DIFFERENT PURPOSES, WHICH IS WHY WE'RE COMING AND WE'RE ASKING FOR HOSPITALITY TAXES HERE IN 2026.

AND THE MONEY FROM 2024 IS NO LONGER EXISTENCE.

SO I JUST WANTED TO SHARE THAT.

UM, ONE THING I ALSO WANTED TO SAY IS THAT WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS CAMP FOR OVER A DECADE.

I'VE NEVER CAME AND ASKED CLARET COUNTY FOR ANY TYPE OF FUNDS FOR THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.

SO THIS IS AN INVESTMENT IN THESE YOUNG PEOPLE.

THIS GIVES THEM THE OPPORTUNITY TO REALLY SEE THINGS ON ANOTHER LEVEL AND ALLOWS PEOPLE TO COME IN AND SEE THE GREAT THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING HERE IN CLAREDON COUNTY.

SO COUNCIL MEMBERS, WE'RE NOT ASKING YOU TO FUND AN EVENT.

WE ARE ASKING YOU TO INVEST IN VISITORS.

WE ARE ASKING YOU TO UTILIZE WHAT THE HOSPITALITY TAX IS FOR, UM, TO BRING PEOPLE TO CLARINET COUNTY SO THAT THEY CAN SEE THE BEAUTY OF WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE.

SO THEY'LL SEE THAT THERE IS A TOGETHERNESS, THAT THERE'S NOT A DIVISIVENESS, AND THAT THERE'S GREAT THINGS THAT'S HAPPENING, THAT'S GOING FORWARD, THAT'S GOING TO IMPROVE THE OVERALL, UM, VITALITY AND OVERALL JUST EXCELLENCE OF CLARINET COUNTY AS A WHOLE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE PRIVILEGE OF YOUR TIME.

ANY QUESTIONS? UH, UH YES, MR. LA UH, SINCE YOU'VE BEEN HERE THE LAST TIME, I I DID A LOT OF RESEARCH ON YOU.

I, I WASN'T FAMILIAR WITH ALL THE THINGS THAT YOU DO AND YOU SERVED THE, DOES A LOT OF, LOT OF THINGS, A LOT OF GOOD THINGS.

BUT ONE OF THE REQUESTS I WANT TO, UH, MAKE TO YOU IS THAT I, I I NOTICED ALL YOUR FUNCTIONS HAVE BEEN BASICALLY AROUND MANNING, ACLU AREA MM-HMM .

AND THAT I'M ON THE SOUTH SIDE DOWN HERE IN THE TON AREA.

ARE YOU WILLING TO HOLD SOME FUNCTIONS OVER THERE? ABSOLUTELY.

I, I HAVE NO PROBLEM WITH COMING TO SUMMERTON AND TWO, ACTUALLY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT I TRY TO DO, AND, AND I'M SAYING THIS ONLY BECAUSE SHE'S IN THE ROOM, BUT MS. KATHLEEN GIBSON IS OVER IN SUMMERTON.

WE'VE ACTUALLY PARTNERED TOGETHER BEFORE AND DONE WORK TOGETHER IN FEEDING IN OUR INITIATIVES WITH FEEDING.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU FIND IS WITH CLARINET COUNTY BECAUSE OF THE WAY THAT THINGS ARE, IT'S ALMOST LIKE, IF YOU THINK ABOUT IT, MS. KATHLEEN IS OVER IN, UM, THE SUMMERTON AREA.

MS. LINDA IS OVER IN TURVILLE AND JEFFREY IS KIND OF OVER IN THAT WILSON FOREST AREA.

BUT WE INVITE EVERYBODY TO COME IN.

BUT I HAVE NO PROBLEM.

WELL, I LISTEN, WE WILL COVER CLARINET COUNTY ANY ANYWAY THAT WE CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT EVERYBODY IS RECEIVING THE NEEDS THAT THEY GET.

BUT SOMETIMES WHEN WE ALL THINK ABOUT THE WORK THAT WE DO, WE KIND OF TRY TO COVER DIFFERENT AREAS JUST TO MAKE SURE THAT EACH AND EVERY CITIZEN HAS THE OPPORTUNITY.

'CAUSE ONE OF THE THINGS ABOUT A RURAL TOWN IS THAT THERE ARE STILL A LOT OF PEOPLE, WHILE MANY OF YOU DROVE HERE TODAY, THERE ARE MANY WHO DON'T HAVE CARS.

SO WE REALLY DO TRY TO, UM, HIT THE DIFFERENT AREAS FOR EVERYBODY.

BUT I WILL BE ABSOLUTELY HONORED AND GRATEFUL TO SERVE THE CLARENDON COUNTY CITIZENS AND TO PUT EVENTS AND PROGRAMMING IN THOSE DIFFERENT AREAS AS WELL.

I GOT, I GOT ONE QUESTION.

YES, SIR.

UM, HOW MANY DAYS DID YOU SAY YOU NEED A WELDER? UM, IT WOULD BE FOUR DAYS.

FOUR DAYS.

IT WOULD BE THOSE FOUR DAYS.

AND I SAID JULY 6TH THROUGH THE 10TH BECAUSE YOU'VE ALWAYS GIVEN US THE ENTIRE WEEK.

BUT IT WILL BE JULY 6TH THROUGH THE 10TH AND IT WILL BE IN THE AFTERNOONS.

UM, MS. SHARON HALEY HAS BEEN, UM, VERY GREAT WITH WORKING WITH US, UM, EVERY YEAR OVER THERE.

SO IT WILL BE JULY 6TH THROUGH THE NINTH BECAUSE THAT WILL BE THE ACTUAL EVENT.

BUT ON THE 10TH, WE TYPICALLY TAKE THE KIDS ON A TRIP SO THEY MEET AT WELDING.

SO THAT'S WHY I SAID THAT.

BUT WE WON'T BE INSIDE OF WELDING THAT DAY.

THAT'S JUST THE MEETING POINT FOR THEM.

SO YOU JUST USING IT FOUR DAYS? YES SIR.

BUT, BUT IT'S IN THE AFTERNOON, STARTING AT FIVE O'CLOCK IN THE AFTERNOON.

SO NOT A DAY.

TWO DAYS BASICALLY WHAT'S YES.

ABOUT HOW LONG WOULD YOU GO INTO FROM FIVE TO, I MEAN, I MISSED THAT YOU PROBABLY SAID, I SAID FIVE TO NINE AND I JUST SAID NINE O'CLOCK BECAUSE FOUR DAYS, WELL, THREE DAYS, 12 HOURS, ABOUT ONE FULL DAY OF EQUIPMENT, ABOUT 2,400 BUCKS.

AND THEN WE'VE GOT PLENTY FEES AND THINGS LIKE THAT AND STAFF THAT WE HAVE TO PAY.

SO IT'S, I MEAN IT'S, IT'S A SIGNIFICANT INVESTMENT THAT THE, THE HOSPITALITY.

I THINK WE'VE HAD MORE REQUESTS ON THE HO HOSPITALITY FUNDS THIS YEAR SINCE I'VE BEEN HERE.

AND IT'S NOT A BOTTOM, ITS PIT.

I THINK THE MOST THAT I CAN REMEMBER WE GIVE ANYBODY THIS YEAR IS $6,000.

SO I'M GONNA MAKE A MOTION TO GIVE YOU $3,600 AND GIVE YOU THE WELDING FOR FREE, WHICH IS $2,400.

THAT'S $6,000.

I'LL BE GRATEFUL FOR ANYTHING THAT YOU DO.

I KNOW AS LONG AS THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE ARE STILL ABLE TO SHINE, WE WILL MAKE IT WHERE WE'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR THE PAST, LIKE I SAID, OVER 10 YEARS.

SO WE'RE GRATEFUL.

SO WHATEVER YOU GUYS ARE ABLE TO OFFER UP, WE'LL BE GRATEFUL.

BUT CHAIRMAN, THAT'LL BE $6,000 IS WHAT I'M MAKING THE MOTION.

OF RESEARCH ON, ON, UH, MR. UH, UH, LAMP HAD SINCE LAST TIME HE WAS HERE.

MR. CHAIRMAN, I, UH, YOU, YOU, I DID A LOT OF

[00:15:01]

I KNOW, UH, UH, UH, CONSTABLE CO SAID $6,000 WITH ALL THAT, THAT STUFF THAT HE DOES.

AND HE'D NEVER ASKED FOR ANY MONEY BEFORE AND HE'D BEEN DOING IT SINCE WHAT, 2012? SINCE 2012.

AND I KNOW CONSTABLE FRIES, HE TOLD ME ABOUT HIM, BUT I NEVER DID, KNEW A WHOLE LOT BECAUSE HE NEVER DIDN'T, UH, MAKE NO REQUESTS FOR ANY FUNDING AND WITH, UH, WITH THE YOUTH AND WITH THE SENIORS, THAT'S REALLY, HE DOES A LOT FOR THOSE.

BUT LIKE I SAID, EVERYTHING WAS OVER IN THE MAN AREA, BUT HE WILLING TO COME OVER IN THE CEMETERY SIDE.

I THINK WE SHOULD GRANT HIM THE $10,000.

RIGHT.

BUT HE NEVER ASKED HIM NOTHING BEFORE THIS, HIS FIRST TIME.

UH, AND DOING IT SINCE 2012.

WELL, HE IS ACTUALLY GOT WELDING FOR FREE.

BUT I WILL SAY THIS, IF I CAN INTERJECT FOR ONE MOMENT.

WE HAVE, AND I'M GRATEFUL FOR THE PARTNERSHIP, BUT THIS HAS BEEN SINCE 2012.

AND YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT.

WE HAVE NOT CHARGED ONE CHILD.

WE FEED THEM, WE PARTNER SOMETIMES WITH RESTAURANTS, BUT SOMETIMES RESTAURANTS ARE ABLE TO DO IT NURTURE.

AND YOU HAVE TO THINK ABOUT IT, WE'RE IN CLARINET COUNTY.

THIS IS A RURAL AREA WHERE PARENTS DON'T HAVE THE ADDITIONAL FUNDS FOR THEIR CHILDREN TO BE ABLE TO EXPERIENCE.

SO WE ARE GIVING THEM THESE OPPORTUNITIES AND THEN WE ARE TAKING THEM ON TRIPS.

AND AGAIN, THIS MONEY COMES FROM OUT OF OUR PERSONAL INVESTMENTS.

SOMETIMES PEOPLE WILL MAKE DONATIONS.

BUT WE LITERALLY, LITERALLY RECEIVE THESE FUNDS, UM, FROM OUR PERSONAL, MY WIFE AND I, FROM OUR PERSONAL INVESTMENTS AND THINGS THAT WE DO OR PEOPLE WHO ARE DONATING LAST YEAR.

AND I JUST WANT TO ADD THIS, NOT TO BRAG 'CAUSE THIS IS NOT A BRAG, BUT I NEED Y'ALL TO UNDERSTAND THE BREVITY OF WHAT WE DO.

LAST YEAR, FOR THE FIRST TIME OUT OF THE WHOLE ENTIRE CAMP, WE ALWAYS GIVE LIKE BOOK BAGS AND DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE WERE ABLE TO GIVE EACH CHILD A PAIR OF SHOES, NIKE SHOES AND REEBOK AND ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT THINGS.

WE WERE ABLE TO DO THROUGH PARTNERSHIP WITH BISHOP TD JAKES AND ALSO DAWN STALEY.

SO THERE ARE PEOPLE OUTSIDE OF CLARINET COUNTY WHO SEE THE INVESTMENT.

AND I KNOW THAT I'VE NEVER ASKED BEFORE BECAUSE YOU KNOW, YOU JUST KIND OF FIND WAYS, BUT AS YOU KNOW, MORE, UM, YOU BEGIN TO DO MORE.

AND THAT'S WHY I'M COMING TODAY AND SAYING, HEY, WILL YOU JOIN US? Y'ALL HAVE DONE AND WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR THE WELDING.

WE'RE DEFINITELY GRATEFUL, BUT WE'RE LOOKING FOR A LITTLE BIT MORE IF YOU GUYS WILL DO THAT.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION? WHAT EXACTLY, WHAT EXACTLY DO THEY DO? I MEAN, OH, THE, SOME ARTS INSTITUTE? ABSOLUTELY.

SO THEY, UM, NOT A PROBLEM.

SO THEY COME IN, UM, WE HAVE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES FOR THEM.

SO THEY GET TO DO STEP, THEY GET TO DO DANCE, THEY GET TO DO MUSIC.

SO YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT YOU GOTTA HAVE TEACHERS FOR, AND WE SPLIT THEM IN CATEGORIES 'CAUSE THE, THE KIDS GO FROM AGES SIX UP TO 18.

SO SOMETIMES YOU CAN'T HAVE THE LITTLE ONES WITH THE BIG ONES.

SO YOU GOT THREE DIFFERENT CLASSES GOING ON JUST FOR DANCE.

YOU HAVE STEPPING, YOU HAVE UM, UM, MUSIC, YOU HAVE CHOIR SINGING, YOU HAVE ALL OF THOSE DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES THAT THEY DO.

AND THEN ON THAT THURSDAY WE DO A BIG PRESENTATION FOR THE ENTIRE COMMUNITY.

UH, MR. CHAIRMAN MAY ALSO OBJECT, UH, UH, UH, SINCE MR. LAND PROVISION, THE LAST TIME I HAD MORE PEOPLE CALL ME, UH, ABOUT MAKE SURE THAT WE FUND HIM BECAUSE ALL THE GOOD WORK THAT HE DOES IN THIS COUNTY WITH THE SENIORS AND WITH THE YOUTH, UH, I WOULD'VE CERTAINLY VOTE FOR HIM TO GET THE MONEY THE FIRST TIME, BUT I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT I KNOW NOW.

AND I, AND LET ME SHARE, INTERJECT ONE MORE TIME PLEASE.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I DO JUST WANNA INTERJECT JUST TO SAY THAT EVEN WITH THE SENIORS, SO WITH MY SENIORS, AGAIN, I DON'T ASK CLARE AND COUNTY FOR ANY TYPE OF FUNDS WHATSOEVER.

WE FEED THEM EVERY OTHER WEEK.

THEY LITERALLY GO THROUGH SEMESTERS.

WE'VE BEEN DOING THIS FOR YEARS.

BUT AGAIN, IT'S AN OPPORTUNITY TO GIVE THEM SOCIAL ACTIVITIES.

WE GIVE THEM, UM, PRIZES AND GAMES AND STUFF.

AND AGAIN, IT'S NOT, NOW THE THING ABOUT IT IS THAT I UNDERSTAND HOSPITALITY TAX DOLLARS HAVE TO BE USED FOR A CERTAIN THING.

THAT'S WHY I WANNA MAKE SURE THAT IS CLEAR AND ON THE RECORD.

SO, BECAUSE THIS MEETING IS RECORDED, AND I DON'T WANT ANYONE TO GO BACK AND SAY THAT THEY GAVE HIM HOSPITALITY TAX DOLLARS TO USE FOR THE SENIORS, THIS IS FOR THE CHILDREN TO BRING VISITORS IN BECAUSE I UNDERSTAND WHAT THE HOSPITALITY TAX IS FOR.

SO I WANT THAT TO BE CLEAR.

BUT YES, WE DO SO MANY OTHER THINGS.

SO WHEN THEY THINK ABOUT THAT MONEY FROM 2024 AND THEY THINK WE'RE JUST SITTING ON A CASH COW, WE'RE NOT SITTING ON A CASH COW.

WE'RE LITERALLY WORKING IN THE COMMUNITY TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE ONE PERSON AT A TIME.

NO SIR.

ANYBODY ELSE? ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT, WHAT WE DO NOW? MOTION'S ON THE FLOOR STILL.

I MAKE A MOTION TO BE GRANTED 10,000 AND WE GOTTA DO MY MOTION FOR, WELL WE GOTTA DO ONE SO WE HAVE A MOTION.

DIDN'T ASK FOR NOTHING AND, UM, WE GOT, AND THE YOUTH, I THINK WE, HE COULD, WE COULD GRANT THE $10,000 FROM THE HOSPITALITY FUNDS.

ALRIGHT, WE, WE GOT, I GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN COKER THAT WE DO.

HOW ABOUT IF WE SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE? WELL, YOU KNOW, HE BEEN DOING THIS WORK SO LONG AND

[00:20:01]

I KNOW THAT WE GET MORE AND MORE REQUESTS, BUT THIS TAKING CARE OF THE, THE SENIORS AND OUR YOUTH, BOTH OF 'EM.

UH, JIM, I I I THINK THE PROPER FORM WOULD BE TO CALL FOR A SECOND ON THE ORIGINAL MOTION AND THEN BORROWING A SECOND, THEN CALL FOR A SECOND ON THE SECOND MOTION.

UM, AND THEN SEE HOW WE, ALRIGHT PLEASE.

FROM COUNCILMAN FRIERSON.

I GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN COPELAND FOR $6,000.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? I DO NOT HAVE A SECOND.

I GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN RICHER FOR 10 FOR THE FULL $10,000.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

HAVE A SECOND.

I GOT TWO IN FAVOR.

I GUESS, UM, IN MY EXPERIENCE SINCE I HAVE BEEN HERE, BACK TO WHAT WAS SAID EARLIER, THE, THE MOST MONEY WE HAVE EVER GIVEN ANYBODY THAT I KNOW OF IS $7,000.

I REALIZE THAT THIS IS THE FIRST TIME YOU ASK, BUT A LOT OF PEOPLE THAT CAME BEFORE YOU, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME THEY ASKED TOO.

SO I GUESS, UM, MY VOTE ON THE 10,000 WOULD BE NO.

NOW WE'RE BACK TO DISCUSSION AGAIN.

I STILL SAY WE SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE IN COMPROMISE ALL THE WAY ACROSS BEING THE FIRST TIME AND JUST SEE WHERE WE'RE AT.

I WOULD MAKE A MOTION THAT WE COMPROMISE, BUT YOU MAKE A MOTION FOR WHAT? TO SPLIT THE DIFFERENCE IN THE MONEY.

SO WE CAN SAY EIGHT OUT.

EIGHT.

AND THAT INCLUDES, I GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCIL THE WELD UP FOR HIM AND WE'LL GIVE HIM THE REST.

I GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN RODIN FOR $8,000.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

I GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON.

ALL IN FAVOR? I HAVE A QUESTION.

ALRIGHT, MY QUESTION IS, IS THAT 8,000 INCLUDING THE WELL, YES, THAT WOULD INCLUDE, WELL THAT'S OVER 10,000.

WELL, OH, SO THAT WOULD NO, WE'RE NOT GOING OVER 10.

IT WOULD, I'M SAYING THE MONEY FOR THE WELDING WOULD COME OUT OF THAT, WHAT WE NORMALLY DID, BUT IT STILL WOULD GIVE THEM MORE.

SO YEAH, I DON'T HAVE THE NUMBERS IN FRONT OF ME FOR THAT.

SO EIGHT, INCLUDING THE WELDING, WE BACK TO 5,600 CASH AND 2400 5600 CASH.

AND 2,400 WELD.

THAT'S 8,000.

SO THAT WOULD ALMOST GIVE THE SIX PLUS HE GETS THE WELD AUDITORIUM, RIGHT? YEP.

SO THAT'S YOUR MOTION.

THAT'S 8,000.

DO I HAVE A SECOND? SECOND.

I GOT A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN RICHARDS.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

ALL OPPOSED MOTION CATCH.

AND I HOPE TO SEE YOU ON JULY 9TH WITH THE CHILDREN.

PRAISE .

MR. LAN ARE, ARE YOU STAYING FOR THE ENTIRE MEETING? YOU NEED ME TO? WELL, I JUST GOT ONE BIT OF INFORMATION.

EITHER CALL ME TOMORROW.

NEXT, NEXT ON THE AGENDA IS AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE TOWN OF SUMMERTON AND THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE OF PLANNING COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA.

UM, BUT WE, WE'VE HAD A DEVELOPMENT THAT I NEED YOU TO BE AWARE OF.

OKAY, THANK YOU.

[9. Agreement]

MR. CHAIRMAN, OUR SHERIFF IS GONNA MAKE THAT BRIEF STATION.

GOOD EVENING COUNSEL.

UH, WE HAVE, WE'RE PROPOSING TO ENTER IN AN AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF SOMERTON TO KIND OF MIRROR THE AGREEMENT WE HAD WITH THE TOWN OF TURVILLE.

THEY, TURVILLE HAD ABOLISHED THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT, UH, BACK IN 2019.

SUMMERTON'S BEEN RUNNING INTO A BAD SITUATION FOR THE LAST PROBABLY YEAR AND A HALF, TWO YEARS.

WE'VE BEEN OVER TRYING TO COVER THEIR SHORTFALL ON THE POLICE DEPARTMENT.

THEIR, UM, I DON'T THINK THEY HAVE ANY WAY OUT OF IT RIGHT NOW.

SO I'VE BEEN IN MEETINGS WITH THEM AND THEY WOULD LIKE FOR US TO COME UP WITH A CONTRACT TO TAKE OVER THEIR POLICING SERVICES

[00:25:01]

FOR THE TOWN OF SUMMERTON.

SO I GAVE 'EM A PROPOSAL.

UM, THEY, THEY HAVE TO FIRST BEFORE THEY CAN SIGN A PROPOSAL, THEY HAVE IT NOW, BUT BEFORE THEY CAN SIGN IT, THEY HAVE TO HAVE, AND I THINK TOMORROW NIGHT'S GONNA BE THEIR FIRST MEETING TO, THEY HAVE TO DO, UH, ORDINANCE TO ABOLISH THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT.

AND IT WILL TAKE TWO READINGS.

SO WE MAY BE INTO, UM, MID-JULY MAYBE, OR OUR FIRST MEETING IN JULY BEFORE WE HAVE THE SIGNED CONTRACT WITH 'EM.

BUT WHAT IT STATES IS, IS, UH, IT'S VERY SIMILAR TO THE TOWN OF TURVILLE.

WE WILL FURNISH TWO OFF.

WE WILL ALWAYS FURNISH THE OFFICER SOMEWHERE CLOSE IN THE VICINITY OF SUMMERTON AS WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO DO RIGHT NOW.

BUT I'M, I HAVE OPENINGS TOO.

SO IT PUTS ME KIND OF SHORTHANDED.

WHAT THIS CONTRACT WILL DO.

IT'LL ALLOW ME, SUMMERTON WILL, UM, THEY WILL AGREE TO A, A FEE OF $200,000 TO FURNISH TWO OFFICERS TO THE CLA COUNTY SHERIFF'S OFFICE.

AND WE WILL PATROL SOMERTON FOR THEM.

UM, THEY, IN THE AGREEMENT, THEY HAVE THE OPTION IF THEY, THEY'RE GONNA DO TWO THAT KEEPS US WHERE WE CAN KEEP ONE CLOSE TO FEN, CLOSE TO THE VICINITY OF THE CITY LIMITS.

IT DOESN'T MEAN THEY'LL PATROL EXCLUSIVELY IN THE CITY LIMITS.

THEY WILL BE NEARBY AS, WHICH THEY HAVE BEEN BEFORE AND RESPONDING.

AND THEY WILL PATROL THE AREA MORE SO THAN THEY WOULD RURAL PART OF THE COUNTY FOR RIGHT NOW.

UM, IN THE AGREEMENT WE'VE ALLOWED THAT IF THEY, UM, BECOME MORE FINANCIALLY STABLE IN THE, IN THE TOWN, AND I'M NOT SAYING THEY'RE NOT FINANCIALLY STABLE, BUT TO SUPPORT THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT, WE, UH, HAVE, HAVE PUT IN THERE AN AGREEMENT THAT IF THEY WANT THREE OFFICERS, IF THEY PAY FOR THREE OFFICERS, THEN WE COULD, WE COULD BE ABLE TO SET A CERTAIN TIME EVERY DAY THAT AN OFFICER COULD BE THERE.

LIKE A TWO TO 12, A TWO TO TWO, SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THAT WAS ONE OF THE OTHER OPTIONS WE GAVE THEM.

AND THE, UH, THIRD OPTION WE GAVE 'EM WAS THAT THEY PAID FOR FOUR OFFICERS.

WE COULD KEEP SOMEBODY IN SUMMERTON 24 HOURS A DAY WITHIN THE TOWN LIMITS, BUT THEY CAN'T AFFORD THAT RIGHT NOW.

SO, UM, THE ONE, THE OPTION THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO TAKE WAS THE FIRST OPTION THAT THEY WILL, UM, CONTRACT WITH US FOR TWO OFFICERS.

UM, I PRESENTED IT TO OUR BUDGET, THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE BUDGET.

UM, AND I THINK IT'S ALREADY BEEN INCLUDED FOR THIS FINAL READING TO, TO COVER THAT.

WE WILL ASSUME SOME OF THEIR EQUIPMENT OVER THERE, SOME OF THEIR EQUIPMENT WE WON'T NEED.

UM, AND I'VE TOLD THEM THAT THEY CAN KEEP THAT TO SELL IT.

UM, AND THIS WILL, WE'LL GO AHEAD AND GIVE THE TOWN OF SUMMERTON COVERAGE.

AND, AND MAYOR HICKS IS HERE IN THE AUDIENCE WHERE WE ALREADY CONTRACT WITH TURVILLE AND WE'VE BEEN DOING THAT SINCE 2019.

SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, SHE COULD PROBABLY TELL YOU HOW THAT'S BEEN WORKING.

UH, RECENTLY, WELL THE LAST TWO MONTHS I WAS KEEPING UP WITH THE CALLS THAT WE WERE ALREADY ANSWERING IN SUMMERTON AND WE ARE, WE'RE AVERAGING OVER ABOUT A HUNDRED A MONTH OF CALLS WITHIN THE CITY LIMITS.

SO IT'S, IT'S PRETTY, UH, IT'S, IT'S PRETTY CHALLENGING FOR US WHEN WE'RE RUNNING THE REST OF THE COUNTY.

SO WHAT THIS IS GONNA ALLOW ME TO DO IS TO HIRE TWO MORE DEPUTIES AND THAT'S GONNA TAKE A LITTLE BIT OF TIME TOO.

'CAUSE IT'S HARD.

NOBODY'S KNOCKING THE DOOR DOWN TO COME BE A DEPUTY, BUT, UM, WE'RE GONNA SEEK SOME MORE, UM, VIABLE CANDIDATES TO BE DEPUTIES AND WE ARE GOING TO GET THEM TO WORK.

I'VE GOT TWO RIGHT NOW, BRAND NEW THAT ARE IN THE ACADEMY, BUT THIS WILL ALLOW US TO GET TWO MORE AND I STILL HAVE SOME OTHER OPENINGS, BUT THAT'S, THAT'S WHERE WE'RE AT WITH IT.

UM, LIKE I SAID, THEY HAVE TO HAVE THEIR TWO MEETINGS TO ABOLISH THEIR POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THIS IS SOMETHING THAT THEY HAVE CHOSE TO DO.

ANY QUESTIONS? ONE QUESTION IS A LITTLE OFF TOPIC, BUT DID IT, HOW BAD DID CALL VOLUME GO UP SINCE THE TRUCK STOP OPEN? UH, IT'S PRETTY SIGNIFICANT.

UM, WITH THE LOVES THERE, WE GET A LOT OF CALLS THERE BECAUSE THAT IS IN THE CITY LIMITS.

UM, WE HAVE A LOT OF SHOPLIFTING CALLS, A LOT OF, UH, UM, CIVIL DISTURBANCE CALLS THERE.

AND LIKE ANY OTHER, ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE COUNTY, WE HAVE A LOT OF DOMESTICS THAT HAPPEN TO OCCUR THERE BECAUSE THEY'LL BE AT THE GAS STATION OR SOMEBODY'S DRINKING A LITTLE TOO MUCH AND GOING IN TO GET SOMETHING ELSE.

BUT, UM, THE CALL VOLUME HAS GONE UP SIGNIFICANTLY FROM, FROM THAT.

AND NOW THEY'VE OPENED UP THE OTHER STORE ON THE OTHER SIDE, WHICH WE'RE GRATEFUL TO HAVE THE BUSINESS, BUT IT, IT'S UH, ALSO GONNA BE A PLUS TO HAVE MORE POLICE PRESENCE THERE BECAUSE BEFORE WE STARTED BEING ABLE TO CONCENTRATE MORE IN THE TOWN LIMITS, THERE WAS NO POLICE PRESENCE.

SO, AND I, AND I HEAR THAT FROM THE, UH, RESIDENTS OF SUMMERTON, NOW THEY'RE SEEING THE DEPUTIES ALL AROUND, ALL THROUGH THE NEIGHBORHOODS RIDING WITH THE CRUISE LIGHTS ON AND WE ARE ANSWERING CALLS AS QUICK AS WE GET 'EM.

OUR RESPONSE TIME HAS, HAS BEEN VERY, UH, QUICKLY TO THOSE CALLS.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION? ALRIGHT.

DO I HAVE A THANK YOU SHERIFF AX.

WE HAVE PRESENTATION, UM, VEHICLE REPLACEMENT PLAN.

DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVE MR. CHAIRMAN.

SECOND, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN RICHON AND A SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN COKER THAT WE ENTER INTO THIS AGREEMENT WITH THE TOWN OF SUMMERTON.

ALL IN FAVOR?

[00:30:01]

AYE.

ALL OPPOSED? THANK YOU.

THE MOTION CARRIES.

[10. Presentations]

MR. CHAIRMAN, I'M GONNA ASK MR. EDDIE, AND I'M NOT GONNA ATTEMPT TO SAY HIS LAST NAME BECAUSE I WILL MESS IT UP.

UM, HE CAN SAY IT.

UM, BUT HE IS FROM ENTERPRISE AND HE'S GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE, AN OPPORTUNITY TO ESTABLISH A LONG-TERM PLAN TO MAINTAIN OUR VEHICLE FLEET.

ABSOLUTELY.

SO, UH, MOST PEOPLE MAY BE FAMILIAR WITH ENTERPRISE RENTA CAR.

WE'RE A SISTER COMPANY OF ENTERPRISE RENTA CAR.

UM, WE CURRENTLY OVERSEE OVER 2.7 MILLION VEHICLES, UM, TODAY.

AND THE ONE THING THAT I'VE BEEN TASKED WITH IN MEETING WITH, UM, YOU KNOW, YOUR ADMINISTRATIVE THOUGHT AND YOUR FINANCIAL TEAM IS WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE TO INSTILL NEWER, SAFER AND MORE RELIABLE VEHICLES? AND WHAT ARE THE COSTS THAT WOULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH DOING THOSE THINGS? UM, IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, ONE THING I'LL SHARE WITH YOU FIRST IS, UH, HERE LOCALLY, UM, I COVER SOUTH CAROLINA AND COASTAL GEORGIA.

WE WORK WITH OVER 106 GOVERNMENT ENTITIES ACROSS THE NATION.

WE WORK WITH 2,500 GOVERNMENT ENTITIES TODAY.

UM, AND IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, WHAT WE PUT TOGETHER FIRST, SO THIS IS A LOT OF THE DATA, UM, OF WHAT YOUR FLEET, YOU KNOW, YOUR STRATEGIC FLEET OVERVIEW, EXCUSE ME, YOUR STRATEGIC FLEET OVERVIEW LOOKS TODAY.

SO THIS IS, UM, WHAT IS THE AGE OF MY VEHICLES? WHAT IS THE FINANCIAL IMPACT OF MY VEHICLES UP TOP? SO WHAT IS THE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS IT WORTH TODAY? UM, AND IF YOU LOOK TO YOUR RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE ON AVERAGE YOU'RE HOLDING THESE VEHICLES FOR 10 YEARS.

UM, AND YEAR OVER YEAR, ON AVERAGE YOU ARE PURCHASING 18 VEHICLES.

SO IF YOU WERE TO REPLACE ALL, CALL IT 186 VEHICLES, IT WOULD TAKE YOU 10 YEARS TODAY.

OKAY? UM, AND THEN IF YOU WANT TO, AND THEN YOU'LL SEE AT THE BOTTOM, PARDON ME, YOU'LL SEE, UM, YOUR MILEAGE BUCKETS ON THESE VEHICLES.

UM, IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

UM, SO AS FAR AS SAFETY, UM, YOU KNOW, WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT CURRENT SAFETY STANDARDS TODAY, IF YOU WANNA LOOK ON YOUR RIGHT SIDE IN GREEN, YOU'LL SEE THAT 42% OF YOUR VEHICLES DON'T MEET CURRENT SAFETY STANDARDS, RIGHT? AND THEN IT JUST TRICKLES DOWN FROM THERE WITH THE AGE OF THE VEHICLES TO THE LEFT AS JUST SHOWING YOU THE IMPACT OF THOSE VEHICLES OVER TIME.

IF WE WERE TO GET AHEAD OF THAT CURRENT, OKAY, TO PUT OUR PEOPLE IN NEWER, SAFER AND MORE RELIABLE VEHICLES.

AND THEN IF YOU WANNA GO AHEAD TO THE NEXT SLIDE, UM, I KNOW I'VE BEEN TASKED WITH EIGHT MINUTES OR LESS, SO I, I APOLOGIZE FOR MY, YOU KNOW, MY BREVITY, BUT, UM, JUST LET ME KNOW IF YOU NEED ANY ADDITIONAL CLARITY.

OKAY? SO WHEN WE TARGET AND WHAT WE LOOK AT THE COST ASSOCIATED WITH THE VEHICLE, WE TALK A LOT ABOUT LOWERING THE TOTAL COST OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP.

THERE'S THREE MAIN COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THE TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP.

ONE YOU'LL SEE OUTLINED HERE IS, UH, DEPRECIATION.

WHAT'D YOU BUY THAT CAR FOR AND WHAT'D YOU SELL IT FOR, OKAY? TWO IS WHAT ARE MY FUEL COSTS THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH THAT VEHICLE? THREE IS MAINTENANCE, YOUR THREE BIGGEST COSTS.

UM, AND YOU'LL SEE ON YOUR XAXIS YOU HAVE COST, YOUR Y AXIS IS TIME.

UM, AND WHAT THIS IS TELLING YOU IS THAT THERE'S AN IDEAL TIME TO REPLACE EVERY VEHICLE BASED ON THE USE CASE, AGE, AND MILEAGE OF THOSE VEHICLES.

OKAY? AND A BIG FACTOR, AND YOU'LL SEE, UM, ON OUR NEXT SLIDE HERE, UP HERE, OKAY, SO, UM, YOU'LL JUST HAVE TO STICK WITH ME ON THIS.

SO IF YOU LOOK UP TOP IN THE GREEN, YOU CAN SEE VEHICLE COSTS AND YOUR OPERATING EXPENSES THAT ARE ASSOCIATED WITH WHAT YOU'RE DOING TODAY.

SO THOSE ARE OUR TWO BUCKETS THAT I WANT YOU TO FOCUS ON.

UM, IN YOUR BLUE IS IN WORKING WITH, UM, MR. NELSON AND YOUR TEAM HERE, UM, WE HAVE FINE TUNED THESE NUMBERS TO WHAT YOU'VE BEEN DOING HISTORICALLY OVER TIME.

SO YOU'LL SEE NUMBER OF VEHICLES TO WHAT IS YOUR NET ANNUAL COST OR THE VEHICLE COST THAT'S ASSOCIATED WITH IT AND YOUR OPERATING EXPENSES.

YOU'VE GOT YOUR MAINTENANCE TO YOUR FUEL AND TO YOUR TOTAL OPERATIONAL COST TODAY.

OKAY? AND THEN WHAT YOU'LL SEE IS OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, WHAT WE HAVE IN EACH ROW, WHAT IT WOULD LOOK LIKE.

UM, AND YOU CAN SEE THE NUMBER OF VEHICLES AND THESE ARE YOUR CRITICAL VEHICLES, UM, THAT ARE COSTING YOU THE MOST AMOUNT OF MONEY THAT WE TARGETED FIRST, UM, AND THAT DON'T MEET CURRENT SAFETY STANDARDS.

UM, SO FROM LEFT TO RIGHT, YOU'LL SEE WHAT YOUR COST ARE, WHAT YOUR NET ANNUAL COST IS.

SO YOU'LL SEE YOU BEGIN TO SELL VEHICLES SOONER.

YOU'LL BE ABLE TO GET MORE RESALE VALUE OUT OF THESE VEHICLES.

OKAY? AND THEN OVER TIME, AS YOU INSTILL MORE NEWER VEHICLES INTO YOUR FLEET TODAY, YOU'LL SEE THAT THE MAINTENANCE COSTS ARE GONNA GO DOWN AND YOUR FUEL EXPENSES ARE GONNA GET SLIGHTLY BETTER WITH NEWER, SAFER, MORE ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY.

ON THE RIGHT SIDE, YOU'LL SEE OUR BUDGETARY IMPACT.

THAT IS WHAT YOUR SAVINGS WOULD BE WHEN YOU LOOK AT YOUR NET ANNUAL COSTS AND YOUR TOTAL TOTAL OPERATING COST REDUCTION OVER TIME.

UM, AND THEN IN THE BOTTOM RIGHT YOU'LL SEE WHAT THE AVERAGE ANNUAL IMPACT IS.

SO OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS, THAT IS ON AVERAGE WHAT YOU WOULD LOOK AT SAVING, LOOKING AT YOUR TOTAL COST OF VEHICLE OWNERSHIP TODAY.

UM, I'LL PAUSE RIGHT THERE.

I KNOW THAT'S A LOT TO DIGEST HERE TODAY.

UM, DO WE HAVE ANY QUESTIONS,

[00:35:03]

MR. CHAIRMAN? I WOULD LIKE TO PUT IN PERSPECTIVE, UM, IN OUR CURRENT BUDGET THAT YOU WILL VOTE ON LATER TONIGHT.

UH, WE HAVE THE REPLACEMENT OF EIGHT VEHICLES TOTAL, UM, SEVEN IN THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT AND ONE IN OUR CODES ENFORCEMENT.

AND WE HAVE BUDGETED A LITTLE OVER $500,000 TO REPLACE THOSE EIGHT VEHICLES.

UM, WE WANT TO NOT DO ANYTHING WITH NEXT YEAR'S BUDGET.

WE DON'T WANT TO INCREASE IT, BUT WE ARE LOOKING TO REPLACE UPWARDS OF 50 VEHICLES USING THAT SAME $500,000 BY IMPLEMENTING THE FIRST STEP OF THIS LONG RANGE PLAN.

NOW THE FIRST FIVE YEARS IS A FANTASTIC PICTURE.

WE'RE ACTUALLY SPENDING LESS MONEY PER YEAR THAN WE HAVE BEEN SPENDING.

THAT STARTS TO CATCH UP IN YEAR SIX, SEVEN, AND EIGHT.

BUT WE WANT A PLAN FOR THAT TO BE READY WHEN IT HITS US BY MAINTAINING OUR CURRENT LEVEL OF SPENDING OR POSSIBLY GOING UP JUST A LITTLE BIT.

BUT OVERALL, WE SHOULD EXPECT SOMEWHERE AROUND THE NEIGHBORHOOD OF $150,000 A YEAR OVERALL REDUCTION IN COST FROM WHAT WE'RE DOING TODAY, AND WE'LL HAVE NEWER SAFER VEHICLES.

UM, YOU SAY YOU ENTERPRISE FLEET MANAGEMENT.

YES SIR.

UM, WHAT, WHAT TYPE OF WARRANTIES DO THESE VEHICLES HAVE? BECAUSE I KNOW A LOT OF OUR, UH, COUNTY EXPENSE GO INTO REPAIRS AND, AND, UM, WHAT ARE THESE LIKE STANDARD VEHICLE WARRANTIES? DO Y'ALL HAVE EXTENDED WARRANTIES? UM, UM, SO THE SHORT ANSWER IS IT VARIES ON THE MANUFACTURER TYPE.

YOU'LL HAVE ACCESS TO ALL VEHICLE TYPES THE SAME WAY THAT WE WOULD, UM, AND THIS, AND YOU CAN SEE THAT WE'RE AN AWARDED PARTNER OF SOURCE, WELL, YOU'RE ON THE SOURCE WELL COOPERATIVE CONTRACT, SO YOU'RE GETTING THE SAME EXACT PRICING THAT ANYONE ELSE HERE IN SOUTH CAROLINA IS GETTING TO CHICAGO, TO THE CITY OF LOS ANGELES IS TODAY.

UM, BUT IT JUST DEPENDS ON SPECIFIC MANUFACTURER TYPE.

SOME OF THEM WILL GO AS FAR AS A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILES AND SOME STICK PRETTY, UM, YOU KNOW, THEY STICK TO THAT 60,000 MILE ENGINE, YOU KNOW, BUMPER TO BUMPER, WHO Y'ALL PARTNER WITH AS FAR AS AS WHERE WHERE YOU GET THE CARS BECAUSE, UM, WE HAVE THREE LOCAL CAR DEALERSHIPS THAT I FEEL SURE WOULD LOVE TO, TO, UM, .

HUH? THEY DON'T USE LOCAL? ABSOLUTELY, WE DO LOCALS.

THEY DO, YEAH.

ABSOLUTELY.

THEY, THEY'RE A VITAL PART.

WE HAVE, UH, WE HAVE A STRONG RELATIONSHIP WITH, JUST OFF THE TOP OF MY HEAD, I PASSED SANDY COOPER HERE TODAY.

WE DO A LOT OF WORK WITH THEM, YOU KNOW, AND THIS IS A LOT MORE VEHICLES THAN MOST PEOPLE ARE, ARE ACCUSTOMED TO PURCHASING HERE TODAY.

SO WE WANNA MAKE SURE THAT WE'RE DOING A GOOD JOB OF SUPPORTING LOCAL, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TIES WITH THE, UH, MANUFACTURERS AS WELL, SO YOU CAN FACTOR THE ORDER OF THOSE VEHICLES.

SO IT, IT'S, IT'S A LITTLE MORE ATTRACTIVE TO US IF, UM, IF OUR TAX DOLLARS ARE BEING SPENT LOCALLY WITH, WITH TOTALLY UNDERSTAND PEOPLE IN OUR COUNTY.

YOU ASKED A QUESTION, I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE ANSWER IT.

MY, MY NAME'S TONY, I'M OUR REGIONAL MANAGER.

UM, SO WITH THE WARRANTY, THE VEHICLES WOULD HAVE THE EXACT SAME WARRANTY YOU GET WHEN WE GET FROM THE MANUFACTURER.

SO NONE, NONE OF THAT WOULD CHANGE WHATSOEVER.

WE, THE LOCAL DEALERSHIPS WOULD BE ABLE TO DO THE WORK FOR YOU SO THAT YOU'VE GOT BASICALLY TAX MONEY GOING BACK INTO YOUR LOCAL BUSINESSES.

WHENEVER WE ORDER VEHICLES, WE DO ONE OR TWO THINGS.

WE'LL USE YOUR LOCAL DEALERS, UM, OR WE WILL ORDER VEHICLES AND HAVE 'EM DELIVERED THROUGH THAT LOCAL DEALERSHIP.

SO THEY'LL GET DELIVERY CREDITS, THEY GET WHAT'S SOME AFTER, UH, BEHIND INVOICE MONEY THAT'S FOR THEM.

BUT AT THE END OF THE DAY, THE, THE BIGGEST IMPACT IS THE REDUCTION IN COST AND YOU'RE GONNA HAVE IN YOUR VEHICLES.

I JUST WANNA MAKE SURE WE ANSWER THE, THE WARRANTY QUESTION.

IT'D BE THE SAME AS IF YOU WENT OUT AND BOUGHT VEHICLES LIKE YOU'RE DOING TODAY.

THEY HAVE PARTS OR NOT, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, WE CAN ORDER VEHICLES OR GO THROUGH THE LOCAL DEALER JUST DEPENDING ON WHATEVER YOUR URGENCY IS.

WELL, MOST OF YOUR WARRANTIES ONLY COME 36,000 AS AN AVERAGE.

THAT'S NOT GONNA LAST LONG WITHOUT, WELL ON A LOT OF THE NEWER VEHICLES, PARTICULARLY WHEN YOU LOOK AT PICKUP TRUCKS AND THINGS, THEY'LL HAVE, DEPENDING ON THE, THE BRAND, UH, WE'LL HAVE BETWEEN A 60 AND A HUNDRED THOUSAND MILE POWERTRAIN WARRANTY, WHICH IS GONNA COVER YOUR ENGINEER TRANSMISSION.

UM, SOME WILL EXTEND OUT TO LIKE, UH, WHEEL BEARINGS AND THINGS LIKE THAT, BUT MOST OF 'EM SCALE BACK BEFORE YOU GET ALL THE WAY OUT TO THE WHEELS.

IF WE ENTER INTO THIS, WHAT'S THE TURNAROUND TIME ON A VEHICLE? WELL, I MEAN, FROM THE TIME WE BUY ONE, WHEN, WHEN DO WE TRADE THAT VEHICLE? IT, IT VARIES, BUT BY LOOKING AT YOUR MILEAGE PATTERN, WHAT THIS PRIMARY ANALYSIS SHOWS IS MOVING YOU AWAY FROM A 10 YEAR CYCLE AND CLOSER TO A FIVE YEAR CYCLE.

SO WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO HELP MONITOR WHAT IS YOUR MAINTENANCE EXPENSE, FUEL EXPENSE, AND VERY IMPORTANTLY WHAT'S THE RESALE VALUE IN ANY GIVEN TIME.

AND ALL WE'LL DO IS COME BACK EVERY YEAR AND PRESENT THIS DATA AGAIN SO THAT YOU DECIDE HOW TO MOVE FORWARD EACH YEAR.

BUT AS FAR AS THE LENGTH OF TIME IT TAKES TO GET VEHICLES, WE CAN GO DIRECTLY TO THE DEALERSHIP IF THEY'VE GOT SOMETHING IN STOCK THAT'LL MOVE PRETTY QUICKLY.

UM, FOR YOUR ERBS POLICE VEHICLES, THE AMOUNT OF TIME IT TAKES THE AFTERMARKET COMPANIES TO UPFIT THE VEHICLES, THAT'S JUST GONNA VARY ON WHETHER

[00:40:01]

IT COULD BE, IF IT'S A SIMPLE PICKUP TRUCK, IT MIGHT BE A A A WEEK.

IF IT'S SOMETHING COMPLICATED LIKE A POLICE VEHICLE, IT COULD BE AT THE FAIR FOR A COUPLE OF MONTHS, ABOUT THE SAME AS YOU DO TODAY.

IF, IF, IF WE ENTERED INTO THIS AND FIND OUT SOMETHING LATER WE DIDN'T LIKE WHAT'S THE CONTRACT TERMS? HOW DO WE, IS THERE, IS THERE A TERM THAT WE CAN'T GET OUT? NO, YOU CAN FIRE US.

SO THE GOOD NEWS IS, IS YOU ALL ARE SOURCE WELL MEMBERS.

EVERY CITY AND COUNTY IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA IS A SOURCE WELL MEMBER.

SO THERE IS A EXTENSIVE RFP THAT HAS BEEN DONE THAT YOU GET GUARANTEED PRICING AND OUR CONTRACTS HAVE ALSO BEEN NEGOTIATED SO THAT YOU DON'T, YOU'VE GOT CLAUSES IN THERE THAT ALLOW YOU TO GET OUT OF THE PARTNERSHIP IF YOU DON'T, IF YOU'RE NOT GETTING THE, UH, THE SERVICE AND WHAT YOU EXPECTED OUT OF IT.

SO JUST, JUST KNOW THAT THAT PROTECTS YOU FROM ANY LONGER TERM OBLIGATION IF YOU DECIDE NOT TO CONTINUE TO WORK WITH US.

UM, SOURCE WELL THAT HE KEEPS MENTIONING IS A NATIONAL COOPERATIVE PURCHASING AGREEMENT.

SO IT'S A, A DIVISION THAT GOES OUT AND THEY BID CONTRACTS ON A NATIONWIDE BASIS INSTEAD OF ON A LOCAL BASIS.

UM, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF TIMES IN THE YEARS YOU'VE PROBABLY HEARD OF STATE CONTRACT PRICING, SO THERE'S A GROUP THAT BIDS THINGS JUST FOR THE STATE SOURCE.

WELL DOES IT ON A NATIONAL LEVEL, THAT'S THE ONLY DIFFERENCE.

CORRECT.

SO YOU'LL ALWAYS GET, YOU KNOW, THERE'S GONNA BE STATE PRICING FOR VEHICLES IF THEY HAVE A VEHICLE TYPE THAT YOU GET THAT STATE PRICING, WE HONOR THAT AS WELL.

UM, LIKE WE SAID, IF WE GO THROUGH YOUR LOCAL DEALERS BECAUSE OF SOURCE SALE, WE CAN'T EVEN MARK THE VEHICLES UP, BUT YOU'LL ALSO HAVE ACCESS TO A LOT MORE DIFFERENT VEHICLE TYPES.

SO YOU CAN CHOOSE WHICH VEHICLE TYPES YOU WANT MOVING FORWARD.

UH, UH, WELL, UH, WAIT, WHEN I MET WITH YOU THE OTHER DAY, YOU AND, UH, NELSON, YOU SAID YOU, YOU WENT OVER THIS PLAN AND YOU COULDN'T FIND ANYTHING.

THAT'S NOT TO OUR ADVANTAGE.

UH, SO THIS PLAN WILL SAVE US.

SAVE, I'M SORRY, LEMME CUT MY MIC BACK ON.

UM, YES SIR, WE WILL SEE SAVINGS RIGHT UP FRONT, RIGHT OUT THE GATE.

UM, TO START WITH, WE'RE GONNA HAVE IN NEXT YEAR WE'LL HAVE AN OUT-OF-POCKET COST OF ABOUT 250 THOU LESS THAN $250,000.

UM, BUT WE HAVE 500,000 BUDGETED IN CAPITAL PROJECTS, RIGHT? WE'LL RETAIN THAT MONEY IN CAPITAL PROJECTS, ROLL IT FORWARD TO THE NEXT YEAR.

THESE NUMBERS ARE KIND OF WORST CASE SCENARIO AS WE'VE GOTTEN STARTED WITH THIS, UM, I'VE WORKED WITH THE SHERIFF AND WE TOOK A LOOK AT HIS FLEET AND WHAT'S GONNA BE REPLACED.

RIGHT NOW, THE SHERIFF CARRIES A HUGE NUMBER OF SPARE VEHICLES BECAUSE THEY ALL HAVE 250 AND 300,000 MILES ON HIM AND HE HAS TO HAVE A LOT OF EXTRA SPARES BECAUSE HE CAN'T TRUST HIS SPARE TO BE A SPARE WHEN HE NEEDS ONE.

UM, YOU KNOW, IF HE HITS A DEER OR WHATEVER THE CASE MAY BE, AND HE HAS TO PUT ONE OF THOSE IN OPERATION, A VEHICLE WITH 300,000 MILES IS NOT EXACTLY DEPENDABLE.

UM, SO HE HAS TO CARRY SOME EXTRAS.

WELL, IF WE HAVE GOOD DEPENDABLE SPARES, NOW HE DOESN'T HAVE TO HAVE AS MANY.

WE CAN CUT THAT NUMBER DOWN, WHICH ALSO SAVES US AN INSURANCE COST.

UM, AND, AND JUST NORMAL MAINTENANCE AND THINGS LIKE THAT ON THOSE TYPE VEHICLES.

SO, SO THERE'S A LOT OF INTANGIBLE SAVINGS RIGHT NOW BEHIND THESE NUMBERS AS WELL.

WELL, WE MEASURED, WE, WE DID GET A LOT OF DATA FOR WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SPENDING PREVIOUSLY.

SO IF WE LOOK BACKWARDS AT WHAT YOU'VE TYPICALLY DONE IN THE FIRST YEAR, YOU SHOULD SPEND ABOUT $250,000 LESS THAN WHAT YOU'VE BEEN SPENDING.

SO THAT, THAT BUDGETARY IMPACT IN THE FIRST YEAR IS IT'S VERY CLEAR TO SEE AND AND ADVANTAGEOUS.

AND AGAIN, IF IF THAT'S AS FAR AS YOU WANT TO TAKE IT AND YOU DON'T DECIDE TO CONTINUE WORKING WITH US AFTER THAT, UM, YOU WOULD STILL WOULD'VE SAVED THAT MONEY IN THE FIRST YEAR AND THEN YOU CAN GO BACK TO DOING IT THE WAY YOU WERE DOING IT.

IT'S, IT'S UP TO YOU.

YEAH, AND I THINK IT'S ALSO IMPORTANT FOR EVERYONE TO KNOW THIS IS FOR MEDIUM AND LIGHT DUTY VEHICLES.

THIS IS NOT AMBULANCES AND FIRE TRUCKS AND DUMP TRUCKS AND BIG EQUIPMENT AND THINGS.

THIS IS JUST OUR KIND OF ORDINARY RUN OF THE MILL VEHICLES.

UM, LIKE THINK F TWO 50 AND, AND SMALLER.

DID IT SAY THAT WE HAVE 187 VEHICLES IN OUR FLEET? YES.

AND JUST TO MAKE SURE THERE'S NO CONFUSION.

YOU SEE ENTERPRISE AND YOU THINK RENTAL CAR, THESE ARE NOT RENTALS.

LIKE IT'S, YOU'VE GOT ALL THE RIGHTS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE OWNER, YOU OWN 'EM JUST LIKE YOU DO TODAY.

OPERATE 'EM THE SAME WAY THAT YOU DO TODAY.

THE BENEFIT IS JUST YOU, YOU'RE ABLE TO FREE UP MORE FUNDING TO BE ABLE TO PAY FOR MORE NEW VEHICLES AND THEN YOU'VE GOT US GIVING YOU THE ABILITY TO HELP GET OUT OF 'EM SOONER, WHICH IS WHAT'S GONNA LONG TERM REDUCE YOUR COST.

UH, DID, UH, I THINK ON ONE OF THE, THE PREVIOUS LAW I HAD,

[00:45:01]

A LOT OF THOSE ARE, WE'RE CARRYING A LOT OF EXTRA SPARE VEHICLES.

UM, WE HAVE, WE HAVE VEHICLES THAT WERE PURCHASED IN 1999 THAT WE ARE STILL QUOTE UNQUOTE DRIVING AROUND, BUT WE CAN'T DRIVE 'EM FAR BECAUSE WE CAN'T DEPEND ON THE GO FAR.

UM, BUT IT'S, IT'S, IT'S THE, THE ASPECT OF OUR VEHICLES REALLY WORRIES ME FROM A SAFETY STANDPOINT.

UM, YOU KNOW, EVEN IF YOU START YOUR VEHICLE UP AND IT, AND IT CRANKS, IF IT'S GOT 300,000 MILES ON IT, IT HAS POTENTIALLY A CATASTROPHIC FAILURE COMING YOUR WAY.

AND YOU KNOW, IF I'VE GOT SOMEBODY DRIVING DOWN THE ROAD AT 55, 60 MILES AN HOUR AND THE FRONT WHEEL BEARING COMES OFF AND THEY RUN INTO, IN, IN THE WOODS AND GET WRAPPED AROUND A TREE THAT ONE INJURY PAYS FOR OR PREVENTING THAT INJURY PAYS FOR THE ENTIRE FLEET REPLACEMENT PROGRAM.

SO, UM, YOU KNOW, WE HAVE TO BE COGNIZANT OF THOSE THINGS AS WELL.

ONE THING, LIKE EDDIE SAID, WE WORK WITH OVER A HUNDRED CITIES AND COUNTIES IN SOUTH CAROLINA.

UM, ONE THING THEY ALL HAVE IN COMMON IS EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THOSE VEHICLES HAS A PERSON IN IT.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE'RE VERY PROUD OF IS WE'VE BEEN ABLE TO HELP LAW ENFORCEMENT, CITIES AND COUNTIES GET THEIR PEOPLE TO, TO, TO GO TAKE OUT THEIR TASK SAFELY AND THEN, UH, GET HOME TO THEIR FAMILIES IN A SAFE VEHICLE.

ONE MORE QUICK QUESTION.

SO TO TRADE D OR SWAP, SWAP 'EM OUT, WHAT IS, IS IT, DO YOU SWAP 'EM OUT BY MILEAGE? DO YOU SWAP THEM OUT BY HOW OLD YOU IT COULD GO EITHER WAY.

WE DO AN ANALYSIS EVERY YEAR.

WE'LL SEE WHAT THE STANDING VALUE OF ALL YOUR VEHICLES ARE AND JUST GIVE YOU ADVICE SO YOU CAN DECIDE IF YOU WANT TO GET RID OF 'EM BASED ON THE RESALE VALUE.

THAT OBVIOUSLY FREES UP MONEY TO PUT INTO THE NEWER VEHICLES.

THEN AS TIME GOES ON AND YOU'RE GETTING RID OF NEWER VEHICLES, THAT RESALE VALUE IS REALLY WHAT'S GONNA OFFSET THE INCOMING COST OF OTHER NEW VEHICLES.

AND THEN, LIKE YOU SAID, BASED ON YOUR MILEAGE PATTERNS AND WHAT MOST CITIES AND COUNTIES DO, WE TYPICALLY MOVE CITIES AND COUNTIES TO ABOUT A FIVE YEAR CYCLE IS WHAT ENDS UP BEING THE BEST.

DOROTHY, WILL YOU BACK UP ABOUT TWO SLIDES? THAT ONE RIGHT THERE.

THE, THE, THE WHOLE IDEA IS EVERY YEAR WE HAVE TO BE TRYING TO HIT THAT BULLSEYE FOR THE SWEET SPOT BETWEEN OUR, OUR TRADE IN VALUE AND OUR LOWER MAINTENANCE COST AND LOWER FUEL CONSUMPTION.

SO THAT'S OUR TARGET EVERY YEAR, MAN, DEPENDING ON HOW MUCH A VEHICLE IS USED THAT MAY CHANGE ONE YEAR OUT OR ONE YEAR SOONER.

UM, I JUST DIDN'T SEE A NUMBER ON IT.

IT JUST HAS TARGET.

RIGHT.

IT WASN'T A MILEAGE OR A YEAR, THAT'S ALL I WAS KIND IN SOME CASES IT'S CONCEPTUAL FOR YOU.

YEAH, IN SOME CASES WE'VE SEEN, YOU KNOW, GOVERNMENT ENTITIES GET A MASSIVE INCENTIVE FROM THE MANUFACTURERS.

SO YOU BUY VEHICLES BETTER THAN ANYBODY THAT COULD WALK OFF THE STREET WOULD BUY VEHICLES FOR.

THERE'S BEEN PLENTY OF CASES WHERE WE'VE GONE BACK TO THE CITY OF COUNTY AFTER A YEAR AND SAID, HEY, YOU'VE GOT SOME TRUCKS THAT YOU JUST GOT LAST YEAR THAT ARE WORTH AS MUCH AS YOU PAY FOR THEM OR SOMETIMES EVEN MORE.

AND WE LOOK FOR CREATIVE WAYS TO HELP GET MORE MONEY BACK INTO THE BUDGET SO YOU CAN DO MORE OVERALL.

AND THAT'S NOT UNCOMMON IF, IF WE GO WITH THIS PLAN, WHEN, WHEN WOULD IT TAKE EFFECT? UM, ABOUT TWO WEEKS FROM NOW WE'VE GOT SENT DOWN TO REVIEW THE CONTRACT AND GET IT STARTED.

WE WANT TO HAVE IT ROLLING JULY 1ST BECAUSE WE HAVE A BIG NEED FOR SOME VEHICLES.

YEAH, AND I WAS GONNA JUST, UM, REINFORCE THAT YOU ARE SOURCE WILL MEMBERS AND FOR THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA SOURCE WILL IS LEGAL DUE DILIGENCE TO WORK WITH US.

IT MEETS ALL THE CRITERIA THAT YOU NEED TO MEET LEGALLY WITHOUT OBJECTION, WE'LL MOVE FORWARD.

ANY, ANY MORE DISCUSSION AND THIS, THIS YOUR RECOMMENDATION THAT WE GO FORWARD WITH THIS? YES SIR.

WE'VE BEEN WORKING ON THIS FOR QUITE A FEW MONTHS AND, AND I'VE BEEN TRYING MY BEST TO POKE HOLES IN IT.

UM, AND I'VE TALKED TO A LOT OF OTHER FOLKS THAT HAVE WENT TO THIS TYPE PROGRAM.

UM, AND I'VE BEEN ACTUALLY LOOKING AT THIS FOR YEARS AND THE STARS SORT OF LINED UP WHERE WE HAD LEASE PAYMENTS DROPPING OFF.

WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY IN THIS BUDGET.

YOU'RE NOT GOING TO ALWAYS GET AN OPPORTUNITY TO PUT SOMETHING LIKE THIS IN PLACE, BUT NOW IT'S JUST, YOU GOTTA STRIKE WATER IRONS HOT AND IT'S, WE'RE READY BUDGETARILY.

180 DAYS TO GET THOSE VEHICLES IN.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION? NO.

SHERIFF, HAVE YOU HEARD ANY DOWNFALL FROM THE OTHER COUNTIES? I FEEL SURE YOU TALKED TO 'EM.

NO.

UM, WARRANT YOU TO SIT DOWN.

I KNOW THEY DID ME.

THEY HAVE A GOOD VEHICLE.

I I'VE GOT BOTH VEHICLES IN THE COUNTY.

UM, OUR DEPARTMENT DOES, MY, MY QUESTION WOULD BE WHAT IS DELIVERY ON? BECAUSE WHAT HAPPENS IS, IN THE PAST WHEN I ORDER VEHICLES, OF COURSE WE CAN'T ORDER 'EM UNTIL BUDGET YEAR.

SO SAY I ORDER MY VEHICLES JULY THE FIRST, SOMETIMES IT TAKES A MINIMUM OF 120 DAYS, BUT SOMETIMES IT'S TAKING

[00:50:01]

AND THEN I, I HAVE TO GET 'EM UPFITTED, WHICH EVERYBODY BUYS VEHICLES IN JULY, SO YOU'RE WAITING, YOU'RE IN LINE TO GET UPFITTED.

SO IT MIGHT TAKE ME NINE TO 10 MONTHS TO GET THAT VEHICLE.

SO I MAY NOT SEE THAT VEHICLE UNTIL JANUARY OR FEBRUARY.

MY LAST YEAR VEHICLE, I JUST GOT RIGGED OUT AT THE END OF JANUARY THIS PAST YEAR, THIS YEAR.

SO THAT'S A LONG TIME TO WAIT ON VEHICLE STUFF.

BUT MY QUESTION IS, WHAT IS YOUR DELIVERY TIME ON LAW ENFORCEMENT VEHICLES? UM, I WOULD SAY THAT WE TEND TO BE ABLE TO MOVE THINGS FASTER THAN WHEN CITIES AND COUNTIES DO IT ON THEIR OWN.

BUT YOU'VE PROBABLY SEEN THIS, THAT WHAT TAKES THE MOST AMOUNT OF TIME IS THE AFTERMARKET VENDOR ORDERING AND GETTING THE PARTS YOU NEED TO BE INSTALLED.

UM, WHAT WE DO THOUGH IS EACH YEAR WE START WORKING WITH OUR CITIZEN COUNTIES BEFORE THE BUDGET YEAR STARTS AND WE CAN TELL BASED ON YOUR MILEAGE PATTERNS AND VEHICLE TYPES LATER THAT BUDGET YEAR, WHEN ARE YOU GONNA NEED VEHICLES? AND THEN WE HELP YOU GET AHEAD OF THAT ISSUE SO THAT YOU'RE NOT WAITING MONTHS AS MUCH.

YOU'RE ACTUALLY GETTING THINGS MOVED TO YOU WHEN YOU, SO YOU MORE OR LESS PRE-ORDER THE VEHICLES BEFORE BUNK TIME? YES, SIR.

IS WHAT WE ALWAYS WANTED TO DO.

AND AS WE PRE-ORDER THE VEHICLES, WE COULD PRE-ORDER EVERYTHING TO HELP THEM, CORRECT? CORRECT.

AND THEN WE DON'T, YOU DON'T REALLY START PAYING US UNTIL VEHICLES, THE WEBSITE.

SO IF WE COULD HAVE FOR NEXT YEAR, JUST SAY FOR INSTANCE, NEXT YEAR WE HAD VEHICLES PRE-ORDERED, THEY WERE DELIVERED BUDGET YEAR, HIT JULY ONE FOR THE NEW BUDGET YEAR, WE MAY HAVE HAD THOSE VEHICLES IN OUR HAND GOING TO THE READY TO BE UPDATED.

IS THAT CORRECT? THAT'S THE GOAL.

NOW THERE'S SOME THINGS I DON'T WANNA OVER PROMISE.

WE CAN'T CONTROL WHAT THE GENERAL MOTOR FORD IS GONNA DO EXACTLY, BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE ISAIAH SAID WE HAVE TO BUY AND SELL ABOUT A MILLION VEHICLES A YEAR.

SO WE DO HAVE A LOT OF RESOURCES THAT JUST THE CITIES AND COUNTIES WE WORK WITH DON'T HAVE.

SO WE, WE CAN'T HELP THE PROCESS.

THERE.

THERE ARE MANY COUNTIES, TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION, COUNSEL, WHEN THERE ARE MANY COUNTIES AROUND US THAT ARE USING, UM, ENTERPRISE, ALMOST EVERY CITY AND COUNTY WE WORK WITH, WE WORK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT.

I DON'T THINK THERE'S VERY MANY THAT WE DON'T.

I'M FOR, I'M FOR TRIAL.

ANY MORE DISCUSSION? NO.

MOTION CHAIRMAN.

I THINK THAT'LL COVER UP EVERYTHING THOUGH.

WITH THAT BEING SAID, DO I HAVE A MOTION? SO MOVE CHAIRMAN SECOND.

GOT A MOTION.

COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON.

SECOND UPON COUNCILMAN COKER.

ALL IN FAVOR? A AYE.

ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIED.

THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

THANK Y'ALL.

THANK ALLALL SO MUCH APPRECIATE YOUR TIME.

THAT WAS THE LONGEST EIGHT MINUTES OF MY LIFE.

I, HE SAID EIGHT MINUTES UP A LITTLE LONGER THAN THAT.

I'M TELLING YOU.

NEXT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION OF WELCOME SIGNS ENTERING INTO MANNY BY MR. DAVID WOODS JR.

MR. CHAIRMAN, UM, I THINK MR. WOODS IS, IS IN ATTENDANCE TONIGHT.

I SPOKE TO HIM EARLIER.

UM, WE'VE BEEN BACK AND FORTH, UH, WORKING TOGETHER THE LAST WEEK OR SO.

UH, AND THE IDEA THAT HE HAS IS TO PUT WELCOME SIGNS COMING INTO MANNING THAT SAY, WELCOME TO MANNING HOME OF RETIRED COLONEL ALEXANDER CONYERS.

UM, SO BEING THAT IT SAYS, WELCOME TO MANNING, HE HAS ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO THE CITY OF MANNING, SPOKE TO THE MAYOR, AND ACTUALLY STARTED WORKING WITH DOT TO SEE ABOUT GETTING THE SIGNS PLACED.

AND HE SORT OF HIT A SNAG THERE.

SO WE WANTED TO JUST KIND OF POSTPONE TONIGHT'S PRESENTATION UNTIL HE CAN SNAG WHAT WHAT HAS HAPPENED, UM, AND, AND OVERCOME SOME OF THOSE ROADBLOCKS.

SO, UM, HE IS HERE IF, IF YOU HAD ANY QUESTIONS, BUT, BUT HE ASKED THAT.

I JUST LET Y'ALL KNOW THAT, THAT HE'S SORT OF A STANDSTILL RIGHT NOW.

GIVE IT JUST A FEW MINUTES TO PUT IT UP ON THE BOARD.

UM, THAT'S GOOD.

NEXT WE HAVE A PRESENTATION FROM THE CONNOR'S OFFICE BY MS. JACQUELINE BLACKWELL.

WELL, THANK YOU.

UM,

[00:55:20]

GOOD AFTERNOON EVERYONE.

COUNSEL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR GIVING ME THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THIS PRESENTATION, UH, TO YOU.

PRIOR TO THE PASSING OF THE FINAL READING OF THE BUDGET, THERE ARE SOME THINGS THAT I THINK THAT YOU NEED TO BE AWARE OF PRIOR TO PASSING THE BUDGET.

HOWEVER, UM, SOME OF YOU KNOW AND SOME OF YOU DON'T.

SO I WOULD LIKE TO QUICKLY DO A QUICK PRESENTATION OF THE CORONER'S CONCERN AND THE CORONER'S ISSUE AT THIS TIME.

AND I DO REQUEST THAT YOU ALLOW ME TO FINISH MY PRESENTATION BEFORE THERE ARE ANY QUESTIONS, SO THAT WE WON'T PROLONG THE TIME ON ONE CERTAIN ISSUE.

FIRST I'D LIKE TO ESTABLISH THE FACT THAT IN 2020 I WAS ELECTED BY 13 OVER 13,000 PEOPLE IN CLARINET COUNTY AS THE CORNER OF CLARINET COUNTY.

THEN FOR REELECTION, I GOT ALMOST 11,000 VOTES AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

SO I WANNA PUT ON THE RECORD THAT I, MY OFFICE IS ONE OF THAT OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL IN CLARINET COUNTY AND ALSO IN 2023, THE STATE.

AND IN YOUR PACKET YOU WILL SEE THAT, UM, THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA DECLARED THAT ALL CORNERS IN CLARINET COUNTY ARE NOW DECLARE FIRST RESPONDERS.

SO WE GET THE SAME PRIVILEGE AS FIRST RESPONDERS AND WE GET THE SAME PRIVILEGE AS I GET THE SAME PRIVILEGE AS ANNIE LAKEWOOD OFFICIAL HERE IN CLARINET COUNTY.

OKAY, IF YOU'LL GO TO THE NEXT SLIDE.

PRESENTED STATS, THEY WERE PRESENTED WITH COMPARISON OF BUDGETS TO OTHER COUNTIES.

SINCE FEBRUARY OF 19, I'M SORRY, SINCE FEBRUARY OF 2023, THERE HAVE BEEN FOUR SCHEDULED MEETINGS WITH THE CORONER AND THE ADMINISTRATOR.

THE OUTCOME OF THESE MEETINGS RESULTED IN THE FOLLOWING.

I WAS TOLD THAT MY SALARY IS TOO HIGH, STATING THAT I MAKE OVER $7,000 $70,000.

MY PRESENT BUDGET IS TOO HIGH, WHICH WAS OVER $412,000 DUE TO THE MANDATE OF NEW STATEWIDE WALKIE TALKIES FOR COMMUNICATIONS.

I ASKED WHAT WOULD BE AN IDEA BUDGET AND WAS TOLD AT THAT TIME THAT SOMEWHERE IN THE 300,000 WOULD BE SUFFICIENT.

LATER I WAS COMPARED TO GEORGETOWN AND WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY BUDGETS.

THEN LATER IN LATER MEETINGS, I WAS GIVEN A COPY OF WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY BUDGET TO MAKE MY SATISFACTORY TO HERS.

THAT EQUAL TO $270,000, BUT NEVER GIVEN A COPY OF GEORGETOWN AND WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY, UH, GEORGETOWN COUNTY BUDGET.

I HAD TO GIVE MY FULL DEPUTIES WHO ARE HERE TONIGHT, FRANKLIN AND PETER, I HAD TO GIVE THEM NOTICE AS OF JULY 1ST.

THEY WILL NO LONGER BE EMPLOYED AS A FULL-TIME EMPLOYER WITH THE COUNTY.

THEY COULD BE PART-TIME.

THAT LINE ITEM WOULD BE TOTALLY TAKEN OUT OF MY BUDGET TO SAVE THE TAXPAYER'S MONEY.

AND AN IDEAL WAY OF RUNNING THE COR CORONER'S OFFICE WOULD BE TO POP THE VEHICLES AT THE OFFICE AND WHOEVER IS ON CALL WOULD GO TO THE OFFICE AND GET THE VEHICLE IF NEEDED.

ALSO, THAT EM, IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT EMS AND THE FUNERAL HOMES BE THE ONES TO TRANSPORT BODIES.

I NEEDED TO ADVISE THE ADMINISTRATOR HOW, OH, ONE MORE THING THAT I WAS REQUESTED TO DO WAS TO ADVISE THE ADMINISTRATOR HOW MANY DEATHS I WAS GOING TO HAVE IN THE COMING YEAR AT THE RETREAT.

OTHER DEPARTMENT HEADS ALONG WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR WERE ON THE AGENDA, AND I CAN PRESENT THAT IF I NEED TO.

EACH DEPARTMENT HEAD WERE ABLE TO GIVE STATS ALONG AND UPDATES AT OUR HEAD OF DEPARTMENT RETREAT, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF THE CORONER'S OFFICE.

INSTEAD, THE ADMINISTRATOR HAD ONLY HIS NAME ON THE AGENDA FOR THE ER'S OFFICE.

BUT INSTEAD OF BEING

[01:00:01]

I FOUND, I, I FOUND WAS I WAS GIVEN A COPY OF WHAT WAS GOING ON, WHAT IT WAS GONNA TAKE TO STRAIGHTEN MY BUDGET OUT.

AND THE TOTAL COST THAT WILL, THAT WAS SUBMITTED TO COUNCIL FROM THE BUDGET OF THE CORONER'S OFFICE IS 140 2050 $50 THAT I WAS ALSO TOLD THAT THE FORMER GOVERNMENT HAS CHANGED.

IT ISN'T STRONG COUNCIL, WEAK ADMINISTRATOR.

IT IS NOW ADMINISTRATIVE COUNCIL.

EVEN THOUGH COUNCIL HIRED HIM, THESE WERE MY RESPONSES FOR THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS.

I NEVER ASKED FOR ANYTHING MUCH THAT I DID NOT NEED.

LAST YEAR I ONLY ASKED FOR A RAISE FOR MY RAISE FOR MY SALARY TO BE RAISED, WHICH I WAS IN THE 50 AND THE LOWEST PAID ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THIS COUNTY.

I WAS TOLD THAT I MAKE OVER $70,000, BUT I DO NOT.

AND I HAVE THE, MY, UM, W2 FORM TO PROVE THAT, THAT ALSO MY BUDGET SHOULD NOT BE COMPARED TO WILLIAMSBURG OR GEORGETOWN COUNTIES.

BOTH CORNERS IN THOSE COUNTIES, THEY OWN FUNERAL HOMES.

CLAREDON COUNTY HAS OVER 35 MILES OF INTERSTATE IN OUR JURISDICTION.

THEY DO NOT.

CLAREDON COUNTY HAS A STATE PRISON.

THEY DO NOT.

EACH COUNTY OPERATES DIFFERENTLY AND THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE ARE DIFFERENT.

THAT'S WHY THOSE 13,000 OVER 11,000 PEOPLE VOTED FOR ME.

THE OTHER COUNTIES THAT WERE COMPARE ARE BUSINESS OWNERS AT THE RETREAT.

THE SUGGESTION OF HAVING PART-TIME DEPUTY CORNERS IN OUR COUNTY, MOST OF THEM ARE RETIRED IN OTHER COUNTIES AND OTHER HAVE, AND OTHER HAVE OTHER MEANS OF INCOME FOR THEIR FAMILIES.

MANY ARE BUSINESS OWNERS.

A DEPUTY CORNER THAT DOES NOT LIVE DOES NOT HAVE TO LIVE IN THE COUNTY.

THEREFORE, THE SUGGESTION IS IF A DEPUTY CORONER LIVES IN SUMMERTON AND GETS A CALL, THEN HE OR SHE BEING PART-TIME WOULD HAVE TO GO TO THE OFFICE, GET THE VAN OR THE VEHICLE, THEN GO TO THE SCENE.

NO MATTER WHAT PART OF THE COUNTY THE DEATH OCCURS.

THIS IS PROBLEMATIC.

AND IN THAT RESPONSE TIME WOULD BE NO LONGER HOLDING THAT IN.

THAT RESPONSE TIME WOULD BE LONGER HOLDING UP OTHER PERSONNELS THAT WE NEED TO RELEASE SUCH AS EMS AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.

THEY, WE RELEASE THEM ONCE WE GET TO THE SCENE TO RESPOND TO OTHER CALLS IN THE COUNTY.

EMS AND FUNERAL HOMES ARE BUSY.

AND THEN THE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO PAY OUTSIDE TRANSPORTATION COMPANIES CAUSING MORE MONEY THAN IT IS IN THE BUDGET.

PROPOSED BUDGET.

I CANNOT PREDICT HOW MANY DEATHS I WILL HAVE NEXT YEAR.

ONLY GOD CAN DO THAT.

I TRIED TO COMPROMISE AND I DID AS COUNCILOR RICHARDSON SUGGESTED AT THE LAST COUNCIL MEETING AND MET WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR AND I DID A QUOTE UNQUOTE PROPOSED, UM, LOWER BUDGET.

BUT I SUBMITTED ONE THAT WOULD BE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY TO RUN WITHOUT TOUCHING THE SALARY AND THE STAFF, UH, MY OFFICE.

AND THIS IS THE RE UM, NEXT SLIDE PLEASE.

NEXT SLIDE.

THE REQUEST THAT I, I TURNED IN WITHOUT TOUCHING SALARIES AND THOSE OF YOU WHO IN YOUR PACKET, YOU WOULD SEE WHAT WAS GIVEN OUT THAT CONSTITUTED THE $142,050 THAT SUPPOSEDLY SUPPOSED TO BE TAKEN OUT ON MY BUDGET.

IF THE BUDGET IS PASSED TONIGHT, I ASK THAT THAT EVERYTHING REMAINS THE SAME EXCEPT FOR COST OF LIVING, UH, INCREASES FOR ME, THE SENIOR DEPUTY CORONER AND THE DEPUTY CO TRANSPORTER.

AND I WANNA STOP AT THIS POINT.

THAT SALARY IS NOT PAID FROM CLARINE COUNTY.

THAT SALARY WAS PAID, IS PAID BY THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA, $35,000.

THE ENTIRE THING.

IT WAS CREATED BY THE STATE BECAUSE A LOT OF THE CORNERS WERE NOT GETTING A SALARY THAT WAS FIT FOR OUR POSITION.

AND SO I USED THE ENTIRE 35,000 TO HIRE PETER HUGGINS FOR TRANSPORTATION.

HAVE I SAVED THE COUNTY MONEY? YES, I HAVE.

PRIOR TO THAT, I'VE BEEN PAYING OUTSIDE AGENCY TO TRANSPORT FOR ME.

SO PLEASE NOTE THAT.

AND THEN

[01:05:01]

ONLY ON LAST YEAR AFTER FIVE YEAR AND COUNCIL, IT'S NOT THE SAME COUNCIL 'CAUSE ONLY ONE ON HERE THAT WAS HERE LAST YEAR.

AND MAYBE PAT, I DON'T KNOW IF YOU WERE THERE OR NOT, BUT YOU DID APPROVE FOR ME TO GET AN ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.

AND I REALLY DID APPRECIATE THAT BECAUSE WE HAD TO, WE WENT, WE FINALLY WENT FROM PAPER TO COMPUTERS TO SOFTWARE.

SO I REALLY APPRECIATE THAT.

SO THE SALARIES CONTINUING, I'M REQUESTING THAT NO CHANGE WITH DECEPTION OTHER THAN INCREASE THAT ARE IN LINE WITH STATE AND COUNTY STANDARDS OR USE WHAT I HAVE, WHAT I HAVE PROPOSING.

THAT IS JUST ANOTHER THING.

ACCORDING TO THE ATTORNEY GENERAL, THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES, THE CO HAS THE DISCRETION OF DISTRIBUTION OF THAT 35,000 AT THE DISCRETION OF THE CORNER.

HE OR SHE MAY USE IT, USE THE FUND TO HIRE A DEPUTY CORON ADMINISTRATIVE PERSONNEL OF PERSONNEL WITH FORENSIC TRAINING.

ALSO, THE CORON MAY USE THE FUNDS TO PROVIDE AN OFFICE OR OFFICE EQUIPMENT.

AND THAT'S WHAT THAT 35,000 IS FOR.

SO WHAT I DID, I LOOKED AT WHAT WE HAD TO SEE THE LOWEST THAT I CAN POSSIBLY GO TO KEEP THIS OFFICE AFLOAT.

AND YOU CAN SEE THAT I ASKED FOR NO LESS FOR THE NEW BUDGET.

I ASKED FOR NO LESS THAN 7,000 FOR THE FUEL, GAS AND OIL.

AND THE REASON I GO TO THE SAME PLACES WHERE THEIR DEATH, THAT THE FIRE DEPARTMENT AND THE COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENTS GO.

AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT JUST THE SHERIFF'S OFFICE, I'M TALKING ABOUT HIGHWAY PATROL, DNR, WHATEVER, LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

IF THERE'S A DEATH SOMEWHERE, WE HAVE TO GO.

AND SO THE EQUIPMENT AND REPAIRS, I ASKED THAT IT WOULD BE NO LESS THAN 8,000.

NEXT SLIDE.

FOR UNIFORMS. WE CAN'T DRESS LIKE THIS IN ALL OCCASIONS BECAUSE WE GO IN ALL TYPES OF ENVIRONMENT.

AND SO I ASKED NO LESS THAN 4,000 IN THAT LINE ITEM TRAVEL AND TRAINING.

WE MUST, WE MUST TRAIN, WE MUST HAVE A STATE LAW REQUIRES US TO HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF TRAINING EACH YEAR AND WE HAVE TO STAY DATE 'CAUSE THINGS CHANGE.

SO I'M ASKING FOR NO LESS THAN 9,000 WHERE PREVIOUSLY WAS 12 500.

NEXT SLIDE.

AWARDS AND MISCELLANEOUS IN RECOGNITION, JUST MY ITEM WAS HERE WHEN I CAME AND I HAVE KEPT IT TO A MINIMUM AS, AS MUCH AS I COULD.

WE SUPPORT COMMUNITY EVENTS.

IF THIS LINE ITEM IS TAKEN AWAY, THEN I HAVE TO COME OUTTA MY POCKET TO PAY FOR THESE THINGS, FOR THESE COMMUNITY EVENTS.

AND I'M TELLING YOU RIGHT NOW, I DON'T MAKE A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY AGAIN.

I'M THE LEAST PAID ELECTED OFFICIAL IN THIS COUNTY.

SO I'M ASKING FOR NO LESS THAN 2000 IN THAT LINE ITEM.

MEDICAL SERVICES, WHICH WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR BECAUSE OF THE FACT THAT MEDICAL EXPENSES DOES NOT INCLUDE JUST OUR TOP C AND TOXICOLOGY AND ALL OF THAT.

ANYTHING MEDICAL WISE, I HAVE TO PAY FOR.

SO COUNTY COUNCIL AND LORD KNOWS I THANK THEM FOR PRECEDING THAT BUDGET LAST YEAR TO 70,000 SOMETHING.

ASK THEM TO PLEASE DO NOT GO LESS THAN THAT THIS YEAR.

DEPUTY CORN.

THIS IS WHERE I WOULD PAY A PART-TIME DEPUTY CORONER.

I HAVE ONE THAT'S JESSICA WEINBERG.

SHE IS A REGISTERED NURSE OVER AT THE HOSPITAL.

THERE ARE TIMES WHEN I NEED EXTRA HELP AND THEN I DO HAVE SOMEONE WAITING.

BUT WHAT THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS THAT I GET RID OF THESE PEOPLE AND GET ALL PART-TIME PEOPLE THAT WILL NOT WORK IN CLARIN COUNTY TELEPHONE AND COMMUNICATION.

I ASK THAT WE GO NO LESS THAN 8,000 IF YOU CAN SEE THAT.

I'VE BEEN TRYING TO COMPROMISE MEMBERSHIP AND DUES.

I ASK AGAIN THAT WE GO NO LESS THAN AND YOU CAN, UM, DISMISS THAT.

LET IT STATE THE SAME AS 800.

PLEASE.

I HAVE THOROUGHLY LOOKED THROUGH MY CURRENT BUDGET TO ADJUST AND DECREASE MY BUDGET IN AREAS THAT WOULD HELP ME TO KEEP MY AGENCY RUNNING EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY.

THIS IS A COPY OF A LETTER THAT I SENT ON APRIL THE 13TH TO COUNTY COUNCIL, I MEAN TO, YEAH, TO COUNTY COUNCIL INTO, WELL, TO THE PROPOSED BUDGET, TO OUR ADMINISTRATOR AND TO FINANCE.

AND IT READS GREETINGS.

I HAVE HEARD WHAT MR. ACKERMAN SAID ABOUT THE MAJOR CHANGES THAT HE PLANS TO MAKE IN MY OFFICE.

THEREFORE, I AM SUBMITTING A WORKABLE PROPOSED BUDGET, WHICH YOU JUST SAW AFTER TWO MEETINGS WITH THE NEW ADMINISTRATOR.

[01:10:01]

LAST YEAR BUDGET WAS HIGHER DUE TO THE CHANGE BECAUSE THE STATE MANDATED THAT WE HAD TO ALL GO TO NEW WALKIE TALKIE SYSTEM.

SO WE HAD TO GET RID OF ALL OF THE OLD WALKIE TALKIES.

PRIOR TO THAT, THE SHERIFF WAS KIND ENOUGH TO LET ME USE SOME OF HIS USE, UH, WALKIE TALKIE AND ONE FROM EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT.

SO THAT WAS THE REASON WHY IT WENT OVER THAT 412,000.

SO I, I DID THE NEW BUDGET THAT I AM SUBMITTING.

IT'S CUTTING OUT $21,000 FROM THAT BUDGET.

I AM DESPERATE IN NEED FOR A NEW VEHICLE FOR THE SAFETY OF MY DEPUTY CORONERS.

I ACTUALLY WAS LEAVING A WRECK ONE NIGHT AND I CAN BARELY GET BACK TO MANNY BECAUSE PETER HAD TO BRING THE BODIES OF THE DOUBLE FATALITY BACK TO THE OFFICE WHILE I HAD TO STAY BACK AND TALK WITH THE PARENTS AND TRY TO COLLECT, UM, INFORMATION FOR NEXT OF KIN AND TELL THEM WHAT, WHERE WE GO FROM THERE.

SO I HAD, I, UM, I'VE ASKED LAST YEAR AND I WAS DENIED THAT I WAS NOT GETTING A NEW VEHICLE.

AND I REALLY THINK THE SHERIFF BECAUSE THE ONE THAT PETER IS DRIVING NOW IS A 2012 THAT THE SHERIFF GAVE US SO THAT WE CAN HAVE TRANSPORTATION A COUPLE OF YEARS AGO.

BUT IT'S DEFINITELY IN NEED FOR A NEW ONE.

BUT I WAS TOLD AT THE VERY FIRST MEETING THAT I WILL NOT BE GETTING A NEW VEHICLE.

SO AS YOU CAN SEE, I DID NOT ASK FOR ANYTHING NOW NEW, EVEN THOUGH I REALLY NEED THE BUDGET, THAT TO REMAIN THE SAME, I AM COMPROMISING TO BETTER SERVE THE PEOPLE OF CLATON COUNTY WHO I WAS ELECTED.

KEEP IN MIND, THE MAJORITY OF THAT BUDGET WAS APPROVED BY COUNTY COUNCIL IN THE PAST AND PRIOR TO MY TERM IN OFFICE.

SO PLEASE TAKE THIS BUDGET INTO CONSIDERATION AND THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER.

THAT LETTER WAS DONE AND TURNED IN PRIOR TO THE SECOND READING OF THE BUDGET.

AT THE SECOND READING OF THE BUDGET, COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON SUGGESTED THAT I WOULD TALK AND MEET WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR, WHICH I DID.

THERE WAS NO CHANGES.

THERE WERE NO CHANGES.

SO HE WAS ADAMANT THAT THIS $142,000 IS GOING TO BE TAKEN OUT OF MY BUDGET AND $50 WITHOUT THE APPROVAL OF COUNSELING.

AND SO I TRIED, I DID WHAT YOU ASKED ME TO DO.

THE STATE LAW RECOGNIZES ELECTED OFFICIAL.

I HAVE IN YOUR, IN YOUR, UM, UM, PACKET, THE CASE OF ERGO VERSUS RE COUNTY, SAME SITUATION.

AND THE VERY CONCLUSION WAS THAT THAT, AND I WILL READ THAT PORTION TO YOU, THE CONCLUSION OF THAT CASE WAS THAT THE HOME RULE IS NOT, IS AN EXCEPTION, IS NOT CONSIDERED IN THIS CASE WHERE THE COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR CAN CHANGE, CAN TAKE AWAY THE STAFF OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

THAT'S EXACTLY WHAT IT SAYS.

AND I HAVE A COPY OF IT.

YOU CAN READ IT FOR YOURSELF.

I'M ASKING YOU TO PLEASE CONSIDER BEFORE YOU MAKE THIS PRESENTATION, BUT BEFORE, BEFORE YOU READ THE FINAL BUDGET TONIGHT, I'M ASKING THAT, THAT YOU WILL POSTPONE THE READING OF THE FINAL BUDGET UNTIL YOU, NOW THAT YOU HAVE NEW INFORMATION UNTIL THE END OF JUNE, BEFORE JUNE 30TH, AND CALL A SPECIAL MEETING TO PASS THAT BUDGET SO THAT YOU WILL HAVE TIME TO DEEPLY LOOK INTO THE BUDGET OF THE CORNER.

EARLIER THIS MEETING STARTED OUT WITH THE PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE.

IN IT SAYS ONE NATION UNDER GOD, INDIVIDUALLY WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

I'M ASKING YOU FOR JUSTICE FOR THE FINAL READING OF THIS BUDGET AND TO REVIEW, WHICH I HAVE PRESENTED TONIGHT AND CALLED THAT SPECIAL MEETING TO FINALIZE THE BUDGET BEFORE JUNE THE 30TH.

THE QUESTION I HAVE TO ASK, YOU HAVE SEVERAL OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS HERE,

[01:15:01]

DID YOU AT ANY TIME COMPARE THE SHERIFF TREASURER AUDITOR CLERK OF COURT BUDGET TO ANY OTHER ACCOUNT TO SAVE THE TAXPAYER MONEY? DID YOU AT ANY TIME DECIDE TO FIRE OR TO TOUCH THE STAFF OF THE SHERIFF, THE TREASURER, THE AUDITOR, OR THE CLERK OF COURT? I ASKED THE QUESTION, DID YOU AT ANY TIME TAKE OVER HALF OF THE BUDGET FROM ANY OTHER, FROM THE SHERIFF, FROM THE TREASURER, FROM THE AUDITOR AND THE CLERK OF COURT? AND IF YOU DECIDE TO GO FORWARD WITH THIS TONIGHT, I ASK THAT INSTEAD OF SHOWING A POLYGRAPH, THAT YOU WILL SHOW WHAT HAS BEEN CUT FROM THE CORNER'S BUDGET SO THAT THE PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO SEE WHERE, WHERE THEIR MONEY IS GOING AND WHAT WE CAN DO.

UH, WITH ME TONIGHT, I HAVE THE CORNER, THE HONORABLE CORNER FROM ORANGEBURG COUNTY, SEAN, SEAN FOGLE.

HE IS THE ONE THAT WROTE YOU THE LETTER THE LAST TIME THAT I PASSED IT OUT TO YOU.

THE, YOU LIKE SAY SOMETHING.

GOOD EVENING EVERYONE.

AGAIN, MY NAME IS SEAN FOGLE.

I'M THE CORNER OF ORANGEBURG COUNTY.

AND OF COURSE, THE INFORMATION THAT'S BEEN PRESENTED TO YOU TONIGHT, I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, WITH A LOT OF THINGS THAT GO ON WITHIN OUR COUNTIES.

UM, THE CORONER'S OFFICE WAS ONE OF THOSE DEPARTMENTS, UNFORTUNATELY, THAT'S AT THE BOTTOM OF THE LIST MANY TIMES.

BUT THE INFORMATION WHEN THERE'S A DEATH THAT OCCURS WITH A FAMILY MEMBER, THAT FAMILY WANTS INFORMATION NOW AND THEY WANT RESULTS YESTERDAY.

AND A LOT OF TIMES THEY'RE NOT WAITING OR DON'T WANT TO WAIT ON CERTAIN SITUATIONS AS TO WHAT TOOK SO LONG FOR THE CORONER OR THE STAFF TO ARRIVE TO A INDIVIDUAL OR THEIR LOVED ONE HAS BEEN LAYING THERE FOR A WHILE.

SO I UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, I MYSELF HAVE WENT THROUGH SOME OF THE SAME THINGS PRIOR, PREVIOUSLY.

AND THE OUR OFFICES, NOT JUST MY OFFICE CORNER BLACKWELL, BUT MANY ACROSS THE STATE, ACROSS THE NATION HAVE BEEN FACED WITH UNDERSTAFFED, UM, AND BEING UNDERFUNDED.

THESE ARE THINGS AND WE UNDERSTAND THAT THERE ARE OTHER SERVICES THAT THE COUNTY OR THE COMMUNITY MAKING IT MORE NECESSARY AT THEIR TIME, HOWEVER, BUT WHEN IT COMES TO A FAMILY MEMBER AND THAT FAMILY WANTS ANSWERS AND THEY WANT RESULTS, ALL OF THAT DOESN'T MATTER BECAUSE THEY WANT SOMETHING RIGHT THEN.

SO I'M ASKING YOU ALL TO PLEASE, PLEASE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION ALL OF THE INFORMATION THAT CORNER BLACKWELL HAS PRESENTED TO YOU.

UM, BECAUSE THIS IS NOT JUST SOMETHING THAT SHE IS GOING OFF, NOT JUST SOMETHING ANYONE IS JUST GOING OVER, BUT THIS IS AN URGENCY.

THERE'S SO MUCH THAT IS REQUIRED OF CORONER'S OFFICE.

AND I THINK THAT'S ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS RIGHT NOW, THAT THE COMMUNITY AT, UH, AT A WHOLE DOESN'T UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT THE CORONER'S OFFICE IS INVOLVED WITH.

SO I ASK YOU ALL TO TAKE MAYBE A DAY, STOP BY THE CORONER'S OFFICE, SEE WHAT ALL IS INVOLVED.

WHEN THERE'S A SCENE, TAKE THE TIME TO GO OUT, SAY, HEY, NEXT TIME YOU GO OUT, I WANT TO GO WITH YOU.

BECAUSE WHEN YOU HAVE A KNOWLEDGE OF WHAT'S GOING ON, IT PREPARES YOU BETTER FOR WHAT, ESPECIALLY DURING BUDGET TIME OF EVERYTHING THAT THE CORONER HAS REQUESTED.

BUT I THANK YOU ALL FOR THIS TIME.

HEY, I GOT A QUESTION.

HOW MANY PEOPLE'S ON YOUR STAFF? ON MY STAFF, YES SIR.

SEVEN.

HOW MANY PEOPLE ARE IN, WHAT'S THE POPULATION OF ORANGEBURG COUNTY? ORANGEBURG COUNTY AS OF THE LAST, UH, BUT EXCUSE ME, LAST CENSUS DECREASED A LITTLE.

WE WERE AT 90,000.

WE HAVE DECREASED A LITTLE, BUT THAT NUMBER HAS BEEN INCREASING AS OF LATELY.

HOW MANY DEATHS DO YOU HAVE A YEAR? I'M SORRY? HOW MANY DEATHS DO YOU HAVE A YEAR? AS OF LAST YEAR WE HAD 957.

WHAT IS YOUR ANNUAL BUDGET? MY ANNUAL BUDGET FOR LAST YEAR WAS A LITTLE OVER THREE 10.

I ALSO HAVE ANOTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL OF THE COUNTY HERE THAT WOULD LIKE TO SAY SOMETHING.

PATRICIA, GOOD EVENING.

CHAIRMAN JOHNSON COUNCIL MEMBERS.

I AM PATRICIA PRINGLE AND I AM THE COUNTY AUDITOR.

AND I'VE BEEN ELECTED IN THAT POSITION FOR 24 YEARS.

[01:20:01]

I'M SERVING HERE IN CLARINE COUNTY.

SO I DO UNDERSTAND WHEN IT COMES DOWN TO BUDGET AND WHAT IT TAKES TO OPERATE OUR BUDGET.

UM, AND AS CORONER BLACKWELL, UM, REFERRED TO THE, UM, ATTORNEY GENERAL OPINION THAT WAS GIVEN BY LO ERGO VERSUS RY COUNTY.

SHE WAS A MEMBER OF SCAT, THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF AUDITORS TRADERS AND TAX COLLECTORS.

AND SHE WAS AN AUDITOR FOR THE, UM, HORRY COUNTY.

UM, AS ELECTED OFFICIALS, WE HAVE POWERS AND RESPONSIBILITIES THAT'S GIVEN TO US BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA GENERAL ASSEMBLY, NOT COUNTY COUNCIL.

FURTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS OFTEN ARE THE OPINION THAT OUR BOSSES OR THE PEOPLE NOT THE COUNCIL, THEY MUST BE ABLE TO OPERATE.

UM, AND WE MUST BE ABLE TO FULFILL OUR RESPONSIBILITIES.

ALTHOUGH COUNCIL MAY HAVE A DIFFERENT SYSTEM.

MOREOVER, SOMETIMES WE FEEL THAT IN ORDER TO FULFILL OUR RESPONSIBILITIES, WE MAY NEED MORE PERSONNEL AND SPECIALIZED EQUIPMENT THAN THE COUNTY COUNCIL.

AND WE KNOW THAT YOU SET THE PRIORITIES, UM, FOR THE WHOLE COUNTY GOVERNMENT THAT, AND YOU HAVE A LIMITED BUDGET.

BUT WE MAY NEED MORE THAN THAT TO BE ABLE TO FULFILL OUR RESPONSIBILITIES TO THE CITIZENS OF CLATON COUNTY.

FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE COMMUNITY COUNCIL AND OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS MUST DEAL WITH EACH OTHER IN GOOD FAITH TO DO LESS IS TO DIMINISH THE ABILITY OF THE COUNTY GOVERNMENT TO EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY SERVE THE NEEDS OF THE PEOPLE.

IN SOME CASES, COUNCIL HAS DIRECT AUTHORITY OVER THESE OTHER OFFICIALS, BUT IN OTHER CASES IT DOES NOT.

THE STATUTORY PROVISIONS THAT GOVERN THESE RELATIONSHIPS PROVIDE A GUIDE.

BUT THESE PROVISIONS ARE NOT SUFFICIENT.

AFTER ALL THESE RELATIONSHIPS ARE PLAYED OUT BETWEEN STERILE INSTITUTIONS, BUT ARE THE RESULT OF CONTINUAL INTERACTIONS BETWEEN HUMAN BEINGS, JUST LIKE ALL RELATIONSHIPS.

THEREFORE, THEY MUST BE CULTIVATED AND CONSTANTLY NURTURED.

SOME CONFLICT MAY APPEAR INEVITABLE, BUT EFFECTIVE RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN COUNTY COUNCIL AND THE OTHER COUNTY OFFICIALS ARE NOT A LUXURY.

THEY ARE AN ABSOLUTE NECESSITY.

SO WHEN I, UM, LISTENING TO WHAT CON OR CORONER BLACKWELL, AND I WAS VERY DISTURBED TO HEAR THAT HER BUDGET WAS BEING CUT, UM, WITHOUT CONSULTING WITH HER ABOUT HER NEEDS FOR HER OFFICE.

JUST LIKE FOR MY OFFICE AND THE SHERIFF OFFICE AND PROBATE AND THE TREASURER, UM, UM, AND THE CLERK OF COURT.

WE KNOW WHAT OUR OFFICERS NEED.

WE KNOW WHAT OUR DUTIES ARE AND WE KNOW WHAT IT TAKES TO FULFILL THEIR DUTIES.

BUT WE DO KNOW THAT WE HAVE TO COME TO COUNTY COUNCIL TO BE ABLE TO GET THE REVENUES IN ORDER TO DO THAT.

AND AS I MENTIONED THE LAST MEETING, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WERE IN THE PAST WERE ABLE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND PRESENT OUR OWN BUDGETS TO COUNCIL.

UM, YOU KNOW, AFTER GOING THROUGH THE ADMINISTRATIVE AND UM, FINANCE PERSON BEFORE, BUT WE WERE STILL ABLE TO COME BEFORE COUNCIL AND EVEN DEALING WITH PERSONNEL.

WE WERE STILL ABLE TO MEET WITH COUNCIL TO BRING AND OUR, UM, NEEDS TO COUNCIL AND ULTIMATELY KIND OF COUNCIL IS THE ONE WHO DECIDE, YOU KNOW, WHAT WE NEED, WHETHER YOU'RE GONNA UM, UM, FULFILL OUR, YOU KNOW, THE OBLIGATIONS AND THE THE FUNDS THAT IT'S GONNA TAKE TO RUN OUR OFFICES.

SO WE ASKED, YOU KNOW, TONIGHT THAT YOU FULFILL WHATEVER THE CORONER AND ANY AND ALL THE REST OF THE ELECTED OFFICIALS, WHAT THE NEEDS THAT WE SAY THAT WE NEED FOR OUR, THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS.

AND THAT'S ALL WE ASKING FOR THE ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS TO FULFILL THE OFFICE.

WE ARE NOT ASKING FOR ANYTHING SPECIAL.

WE KNOW EVERYTHING YOU KNOW, IS HIGH NOW.

AND UM, THERE'S A LOT, YOU KNOW, YOU GOT THE WHOLE COUNTY TO, TO FUND.

BUT WE JUST ASK FOR WHAT IT WE KNOW IT'S GONNA TAKE TO RUN OUR OFFICES SO THAT WE WORK TOGETHER AS A TEAM TO MAKE THE COUNCIL THE WHOLE COUNTY WORK TOGETHER.

WE ARE NOT JUST ISOLATED, YOU KNOW, FROM THE COUNCIL BECAUSE WE DO WHAT OUR OFFICES DO.

SO YOU CAN DO WHAT YOU DO SO THE COUNTY CAN BE ABLE TO HAVE THE SERVICES THAT THEY HAVE.

SO WE ALL WORK TOGETHER.

SO WE JUST ASK THAT YOU PLEASE CONSIDER WHAT THE, UM, CORONER IS ASKING FOR TONIGHT.

AND JUST KNOW THAT THE COURTS AND THE ATTORNEY GENERAL HAS GENERALLY FOUND THAT THE POWERS OF ELECTED OFFICIALS CANNOT BE ALTERED BY THE COUNCIL'S CONTROL OF THE PURSE STRINGS.

THAT THIS OFFICE IS ONE OF IT AS AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

ANY QUESTIONS? I'M GONNA ASK IT TO PULL UP THE PDF THAT'S ON THAT, UM, ON THAT THING.

AND WHILE, WHILE THEY'RE DOING THAT, IF YOU CAN, IS IT STILL BACK THERE? OKAY.

I WANT TO BE SURE THAT YOU UNDERSTAND

[01:25:01]

AND ALL I'M ASKING IS TO BE FAIRLY TREATED AS ONE AS THE REST OF THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIAL.

THIS IN THIS COUNTY, IF YOU CAN STROLL DOWN FOR ME, IF IT'LL COME DOWN, I WANT YOU TO SEE THE TYPE, SOME OF THE SITUATIONS THAT WE HAVE HAVE TO GO THROUGH TO GET TO A BODY.

WOULD IT PLAY, WOULD IT COME DOWN, DOWN? SCROLL DOWN.

AND THOSE, THOSE PICTURES ARE IN YOUR PACKETS AS WELL.

THESE ARE THE TYPE OF, OF SOME JUST SOME, WE GO IN DITCHES, WE GO IN SWAMPS, WE GO ON THE INTERSTATE TO RACE.

AND I'M GONNA GIVE YOU AN EXAMPLE WHY YOU ARE LOOKING THROUGH THAT.

JUST YESTERDAY.

YESTERDAY WE HAD FOUR CALLS.

THE FIRST ONE WAS A HOME DEATH.

AS A MATTER OF FACT, IT WAS A MEMBER OF MY CHURCH THAT PASSED AWAY.

PETER WAS ON CALL THE SECOND ONE.

WHILE WE WERE THERE, WE GOT A CALL TO GO TO PINE CREST ACRES FOR A POSSIBLE OVERDOSE.

AFTER THAT CALL, WE GOT A CALL FROM UH, M-U-S-C-M-U-S-C, THAT THERE WAS A WRECK ON I 95 ON WEDNESDAY.

AND, AND EMS AND RESCUE, THEY PULLED THE GUY OUT PRIOR TO THE CAR GOING FULL ABLAZE.

WELL, HE PASSED AWAY ON YESTERDAY.

AFTER THAT WAS THE, UM, POTENTIAL OVERDOSE, ANOTHER POTENTIAL OVERDOSE AT THE STARLIGHT STAGE ON FRIDAY, ONE OF THE THINGS THAT CAME, CAME, UM, OUT OF OUR CONVERSATION WAS WE DON'T RESPOND TO HOSPICE.

CALL HOSPICE DEATH COME 24 HOURS A DAY.

IF A HOSPICE NURSE CALL ME AT ONE O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, I HAVE TO GET UP OUTTA MY BED, GO TO MY COMPUTER OR GET TO THE OFFICE AND SEND THEM WHAT THEY CALL A BRT.

WHAT THAT IS, IS A PERMIT FOR THEM TO TAKE CONTROL OF POSSESSION OF THAT BODY.

THEY CANNOT HAVE POSSESSION OF THE BODY FUNERAL HOMES AND NOBODY WITHOUT THAT BRT THAT'S A STATEWIDE UM, UM, THING THAT'S, IT'S MANDATED.

SO I MIGHT NOT PHYSICALLY GO TO THE HOSPICE CALL, BUT I'M WORKING THAT CALL.

AND IF ANY OF YOU GET WOKEN UP AT 1, 2, 3 O'CLOCK IN THE MORNING, YOU CAN'T GO RIGHT BACK TO SLEEP.

I'M WORKING THAT CALL SO THAT THAT PERSON CAN GET TO THE PROPER FUNERAL HOME THAT THEY CAN.

JUST ON FRIDAY WE HAD A DIFFERENT TYPE.

WE GOT A CALL FROM HOSPICE AND THEY SAID, WELL MS. JACKIE, THE LADY HERE SAID WE CAN'T, SHE CAN'T DO NOTHING WITH THE BODY BECAUSE SHE DON'T HAVE NO MONEY TO BURY HIM.

I SAID, OH YES SHE CAN.

I SAID, EVERYBODY GOT RELATIVES.

I DON'T CARE WHO IT IS.

IF IT'S FIFTH COUSIN, SIXTH COUSIN, WHATEVER, EVERYBODY GOT A RELATIVE SOMEWHERE.

WELL COME TO FIND OUT, I STAYED THERE AND I DUG UNTIL I FOUND THAT MAN'S SON IN MICHIGAN TALKED TO HIM TODAY JUST BEFORE I CAME HERE.

THAT'S WHY COUNCILOR FREON, I'M SO SORRY I MISSED YOUR INSTALLATION, BUT THAT'S WHAT I WAS DOING.

I TALKED TO THAT FAMILY AND HE WILL TAKE CARE OF HIS FATHER AT NO COST TO THE COUNTY.

THAT'S WHAT I HAD TO DO.

SO WE WORKED ALL OF THOSE CASES, Y'ALL.

IT'S NOT THAT WE ARE SITTING ON OUR FEET TWIRLING OUR THUMBS.

NO WE ARE NOT.

IT'S A SERIOUS MATTER AND YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL WHO YOU PUTTING OFF BECAUSE WE HEARD HORROR STORIES FROM PREVIOUS.

SO WE ARE HERE TO ASK MORE AND MORE TIME THAT YOU ARE TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION OF POSTPONING THE BUDGET.

FINAL REASON TONIGHT UNTIL YOU HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO THOROUGHLY INVESTIGATE FOR YOURSELVES.

YES, I TALKED TO THE LAWYER FOR THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES.

HE CALLED ME ON FRIDAY BECAUSE THE PRESIDENT OF OUR ASSOCIATION SAID JACKIE'S IN TROUBLE.

AND HE CALLED ME.

I DIDN'T CALL HIM.

HE SAID, AND I PRESENTED TO HIM JUST WHAT I PRESENTED TO YOU.

AND HIS, HIS QUOTE UNQUOTE, MS. BLACKWELL, YOU ARE RIGHT.

HOUSTON COUNTY COUNCIL CAN DECREASE YOUR BUDGET,

[01:30:02]

BUT ONLY TO THE, NOT THE SALARY OR THEY CAN'T NOT THE STAFF, BUT THEY CAN DECREASE THE OTHER LINE ITEM.

BUT THEY CANNOT DECREASE IT TO THE, TO THE POINT WHERE YOU CANNOT RUN YOUR OFFICE EFFECTIVELY AND EFFICIENTLY.

THAT CAME FROM THE LAWYER.

AND I CAN TELL YOU HIS NAME AND NUMBER IF Y'ALL NEED TO CALL HIM TO FIND OUT TO SEE WHAT I'M TELLING THE TRUTH.

SO I'M ASKING YOU AGAIN, PLEASE BE FAIR, CONSIDER WHAT YOU HAVE TO DO TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF CLARINE AND COUNTY.

YOU'RE NOT SERVING JACKIE BLACKWELL, YOU'RE NOT SERVING ME.

I'M I I AM THREE SCORES AND 10.

AND RIGHT NOW I'M LIVING IN GRACE OF MERCY.

I HAVE SERVED THIS COUNTY SINCE 1977 AND I HAVE SERVED THIS COUNTY WELL IF 13,000 PEOPLE VOTED FOR ME, THAT WAS RECORD SETTING.

THAT MEAN IT WASN'T BLACK, IT WASN'T WHITE ONLY.

IT WASN'T DEMOCRATS ONLY, IT WASN'T REPUBLICANS ONLY OR LIBERATION, WHATEVER YOU CALL IT.

THAT WAS THE PEOPLE OF CLATON COUNTY SAYING WE NEED A CHANGE.

AND THEY GOT THAT CHANGE.

THE ONE THING I KNOW THAT I'M PROUD OF, I BOUGHT THE AGENCIES TOGETHER, WE ALL WORK TOGETHER TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF CLARENDON COUNTY.

SO AGAIN, IF YOU DECIDE TO DO THE BUDGET TONIGHT, DON'T SHOW US PARAGRAPHS ALONG ABOUT FIGURES.

SHOW US EXACTLY WHAT'S BEEN CUT, AT LEAST OUT OF MY BUDGET.

AND I'M ASKING YOU AGAIN, THE PLEDGE OF ALLEG TO SAY ONE NATION UNDER GOD IN THE VISIBLE WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL.

SO I'M ASKING FOR JUSTICE FOR THE CORONER'S OFFICE.

THANK YOU FOR ALLOWING ME TO PRESENT THAT.

I GOT A QUESTION.

UM, YOU SAID YOUR BUDGET WAS THREE 10 AND HE HAD SEVEN EMPLOYEES IN R THREE 80.

THAT'S, THOSE ARE THE THINGS, YOU KNOW, WHEN WE, FOR ME OR FOR AS COUNTY COUNCIL, HE, I'M JUST QUOTING WHAT I WAS WRITING DOWN WHAT HE SAID.

UM, AND, AND AS COUNTY COUNCIL, IT'S NOT TO TAKE FROM YOU OR TAKE FROM ANYBODY ELSE, BUT IT IS OUR JOB TO BUDGET THE COUNTY AND MAKE SURE EVERYTHING FALLS INTO PLACE FOR EVERYBODY.

WE DON'T WANNA TAKE FROM ANYBODY OR, OR NOT.

WE JUST WANNA MAKE SURE EVERYTHING RUNS EFFICIENTLY AND IF WE CAN MAKE IT RUN MORE EFFICIENT, THAT'S ALL WE'RE LOOKING FOR.

UM, BECAUSE I, I DO KNOW, BECAUSE I KNOW I, I KNOW JESSICA, UM, WHEN'S THE LAST TIME YOU USED HER? WHAT, WHAT NOW? JESSICA WEINBERG.

JESSICA? MM-HMM .

I ONLY USED JESSICA WHENEVER I MET WITH JESSICA LAST WEEK AND WE HAD A TALK EVERY TIME I CALL JESSICA, BUT I DON'T NEED JESSICA.

IF I HAVE THE TWO PEOPLE HERE TO TAKE CARE OF THE CALL, I CALL HER ONLY AS I NEED HER.

WE CAME INTO AGREEMENT.

I NEED A PHLEBOTOMIST.

I'M NOT GOOD AT DRAWING BLOOD.

ALL, ALL CASES DON'T NEED TO GO TO AUTOPSY, BUT I NEED TOXICOLOGY.

JESSICA AND I CAME TO AGREEMENT THAT SHE WILL STILL BE ON AS PART-TIME AND I WILL GO AHEAD AND SHE'LL COME IN AND DRAW BLOOD AS MATTER OF FACT, I NEED HER TO DRAW SOME RIGHT NOW.

I'VE GOT THREE BODIES THERE AT THE OFFICE RIGHT NOW.

SO WE HAD OUR TALK.

I'M JUST ASKING BECAUSE I KNOW WHEN I TALKED JESSICA AND I HER LAST TIME LAST WEEK, I TRY TO MAKE SURE WHEN I RIGHT, MAKE A DECISION.

OH YEAH, I MAKE A DECISION.

JESSICA AND I TALKED THAT'S SHE'S STILL ON THAT, LIKE YOU SAID FOR EVERYBODY CHANGED THAT.

BUT I'M JUST CURIOUS IF THEY HAVE 900 DEATHS, WHERE, WHAT DO WE WE HAVE LESS THAN HALF THAT.

I'M SORRY.

A YEAR DEATHS IN CLATON COUNTY.

HOW MANY WE HAD LAST YEAR? YEAH.

HOW MANY WE 354.

SO RIGHT.

SO WE HAVE LESS THAN HALF.

THAT'S, THOSE ARE KIND OF WHAT WE LOOK AT.

BUT YOU TAKE A CONSIDERATION SIR.

HUH? EVERY CASE IS DIFFERENT.

WHAT MIGHT BE ONE DEATH MIGHT BE TAKE A DAY, ONE MIGHT TAKE ME THREE DAYS.

ESPECIALLY WE GOT THE INTERSTATE COMING THROUGH THIS COUNTY, RIGHT? I HAVE TO FIND THE NEXT OF KIN.

SOMETIME IT MIGHT TAKE ME THREE DAYS.

CASE IN POINT, ONE GUY GOT KILLED ON THE INTERSTATE, TOTAL SPANISH, NO ENGLISH AT ALL.

I HAD TO GO OUT AND FIND A SPANISH SPEAKING PERSON TO COME IN TO HELP ME FIND THE NEXT OPINION FOR THAT PERSON.

AND IT TOOK HER THREE DAYS BUT WE GOT IT DONE.

RIGHT.

AND THOSE, THOSE ARE THE QUESTIONS THAT, LIKE I SAID, WE JUST NEED TO KNOW BECAUSE WHEN I, WHEN YOU LOOK AT JUST NUMBERS, BUT LEMME SAY NUMBER DON'T ALWAYS ADD UP.

LEMME SAY THIS.

LET ME SAY THIS.

NOTHING THAT I DO IS GOING IN JACKIE BLACKWELL POCKETS.

EVEN IF I DON'T GET ANOTHER DIME IN MY SALARY, THAT'S FINE WITH ME.

MY GRANDDADDY TAUGHT ME THAT YOU CAN'T MISS WHAT YOU NEVER HAVE.

AND I KNOW HOW TO EAT PEANUT BUTTER AND JELLY SANDWICHES , BUT I KNOW HOW TO SERVE THE PEOPLE OF THIS COUNTY BETTER.

AND RIGHT NOW I'M ASKING FOR EITHER THE REDUCED BUDGET THAT I PROPOSE OR JUST LEAVE IT AS IT'S I GOT YOU.

AND JUST, JUST TO BE FUNNY, WE'RE THE LEAST PAID IN THE COUNTY BY A LONG SHOT.

GOT

[01:35:03]

YOU.

HAVE TO SPEAK UP A LITTLE LOUDER FOR ME 'CAUSE I CAN'T MISS JACKIE.

ORANGEBURG'S ACTUALLY GOT TWO INTERSTATES BUT UH, THAT DON'T THAT BESIDE THE POINT, WHAT YOU SAID EARLIER ABOUT THE CORONERS HAVING, OWNING A FUNERAL HOME OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT.

THEY WASN'T REPRESENTING JACKIE BLACKWELL.

I CAN'T TAKE THAT.

I CAN'T, I CAN'T EVEN LOOK AT THAT PART OF IT.

'CAUSE WHEN YOU RUN FROGS, YOU KNEW WHAT THE SALARY WAS GONNA BE.

OH NO.

YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A, YOU COULD HAVE A JOB LIKE SOME OF US OR YOU DON'T HAVE TO HAVE A JOB.

SOME OF US SIR.

I'M NOT, I'M NOT DISPUTING MY SALARY DOES.

I'M NOT DISPUTING MY SALARY.

I SAID I CAN EAT PEANUT BUTTER, JELLY SANDWICH, OTHER, IT'S OKAY.

AND THE OTHER PART, THE OTHER PART ABOUT THE $2,000 IN IN DONATIONS, YOU WANT $2,000 TO DONATE TO DIFFERENT CHARITIES? NO.

RESET THAT.

YOU DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GONNA COME UP.

I'VE BEEN PAYING OUTTA MY POCKET.

YES MA'AM.

I'VE ALWAYS SAID FOR A LOT OF GIVEAWAYS I CAN'T REP, I'VE ACTUALLY DONATED MORE THAN THAT OUTTA MY POCKET EVERY YEAR.

BUT I'M JUST TELLING YOU.

BUT GUESS WHAT? AND MY SELLER IS WAY LESS WHAT I GAVE.

IT WAS SAYING CLARINET COUNTY.

BUT UM, WHAT WOULD YOU THINK THE CLOSEST COUNTY IS SIZE WISE TO US? I'M SORRY.

RIGHT HERE.

THE CLOSEST COUNTY.

THE CLOSEST COUNTY TO US SIZE WISE.

IS THERE ANY OTHER SIZE? I NO IDEA BECAUSE I DON'T WORRY ABOUT OTHER COUNTIES.

I WORRY ABOUT CLATON COUNTY.

WE HAVE TO, THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE CAN JUDGE ON.

AND I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF CALLS WITH THE CORONER'S OFFICE.

NOT YOU.

'CAUSE I ACTUALLY PUT THE SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT BEFORE YOU COME ON.

BUT I KNOW EXACTLY WHAT, EXCUSE ME MR. COUNCILMAN.

WE WORKED TOGETHER AS DEPUTY SHERIFF.

YEAH WE DID.

IF YOU WASN'T THE CORONER, I SAID I'VE BEEN TO A LOT OF CALLS WITH THE CO'S OFFICE.

I DIDN'T SAY WE DIDN'T WORK TOGETHER.

YOU WASN'T THE CORONER THEN.

UH, WHAT WOULD YOU CONSIDER? WE HAVE TO LOOK AT OTHER COUNTY 'CAUSE THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE CAN JUDGE IT OFF OF TO SEE IF WE'RE RIGHT.

AND WHAT YOU WERE SAYING ABOUT THE OTHER ELECTED OFFICIALS, OUR SHERIFF'S DEPARTMENT, OUR FIRE DEPARTMENT, EVERYONE THERE, ANY COUNTY AROUND HERE, THEY'RE PRETTY MUCH UNDERPAID FROM ANY ACCOUNT, ANY COUNTY.

THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.

THE ONLY ELECTED OF OFFICIAL THAT I KNOW OF IS ACTUALLY OVERPAID THAN THE COUNTY SURROUNDING US IS YOU.

WHY WOULD YOU CONSIDER ME OVERPAID? I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT.

NO, I DIDN'T GET OFFICE.

WHY WOULD I BE OVERPAID? WHAT'S, I DON'T UNDERSTAND THAT STREET.

I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT.

HOLD ON JUST A SECOND.

YOU TALKING ABOUT THE DEPARTMENT SALARY OR JUST TOTAL BUDGET? TOTAL BUDGET IS WHAT I'M TALKING ABOUT.

NOT SALARY.

ALSO, WHILE YOU LOOKING THAT UP, KEEP IN MIND COUNSEL, PRIOR TO YOU APPROVED EVERYTHING THAT I HAD BEFORE.

THAT'S THE ONLY THING WE HAD TO LOOK AT IS WHAT I'M SAYING IS THE OTHER COUNTY, IT'S THE ONLY THING WE HAD TO GO BY.

I TRIED TO MEET WITH THE CORONER AND TRIED TO GIVE HER SOME ASSISTANCE AND TRIED TO TALK WITH HER ABOUT WHAT WAS ACTUALLY IN HER BUDGET, WHAT WE PUT IN IT, TRYING TO HAVE AND OPEN THAT DIALOGUE AND DISCUSSION.

MR. CHAIRMAN.

UM, I PUT SOME INFORMATION TOGETHER AND THESE ARE COMPARATIVE BUDGETS FOR COUNTIES NOT ONLY IN OUR POPULATION GROUP.

AND WHEN I SAY POPULATION GROUP, UM, COUNTIES OF SIMILAR SIZE.

THE SOUTH CAROLINA ASSOCIATION OF COUNTIES PUTS US IN A POPULATION GROUP OF BETWEEN 25 AND 50,000 PEOPLE.

SO WHEN WE LOOK AT OUR POPULATION GROUP, WE HAVE CLATON COUNTY AT THE TOP, WILLIAMSBURG, WHICH IS ALMOST IDENTICAL IN POPULATION TO US.

NEWBERRY COUNTY, LITTLE BIT BIGGER.

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, ABOUT 50% BIGGER.

CHESTER COUNTY, PRETTY MUCH THE SAME SIZE AS US UNION, LITTLE BIT SMALLER EDGE FEE, A LITTLE BIT SMALLER.

AND THEN I THREW IN GEORGETOWN JUST BECAUSE I DID THEIR BUDGET.

SO I KNEW WHAT THEY WERE GONNA DO.

UM, IN A DOLLAR'S PURE DOLLAR STANDPOINT.

CLATON COUNTY WAS THEIR CURRENT, THIS IS THE 25 26 BUDGET WAS A LITTLE OVER $412,000.

UM, AND WE GOT 31,000 PEOPLE.

NOW TO PUT THAT IN PERSPECTIVE, OUR CORONER FROM OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTY IN ORANGEBURG, THEY'VE GOT 90,000 PEOPLE IN HIS BUDGET.

JUST OVER 300,000 WHEN YOU LOOK AT IT ON A PER CAPITA BASIS.

AND CLARENDON COUNTY, WE SPENT OVER $13 PER PERSON FOR THE OFFICES OF THE CAR.

EVERYBODY ELSE IS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN SEVEN AND AND $8 AND 8 77 IS THE HIGHEST.

WHAT WE'VE DONE IS TRIMMED THAT BUDGET BACK THIS YEAR TO MORE MIRROR OUR NEIGHBORING COUNTIES AND COUNTIES OF OUR SIZE.

HER BUDGET NOW AS IT SITS, STANDS AT $8 AND 76 CENTS PER CAPITA.

WHICH IS, I'M SORRY, $8 67 CENTS PER CAPITA, WHICH IS THE SECOND HIGHEST OUT OF ANYBODY SHORT OF EDGE FIELD.

UM, WE HAVE TRIED TO MEET WITH THE CORONER.

SHE MADE A LOT OF STATEMENTS EARLIER, SOME OF WHICH THEY, THEY COULD USE A LITTLE CLEANING UP, LET'S JUST SAY.

UM, BUT WOW.

[01:40:01]

SHE WOULD NOT TELL ME ANY DETAILS ABOUT WHAT SHE NEEDED TO DO.

63% OF HER BUDGET IS IN SALARIES.

63%.

IF WE'RE GONNA DO ANYTHING, IT HAS TO REDUCE IN SALARIES.

THE CORONER'S OFFICE IS NOT RUNNING ALL 330 SOMETHING DEATHS THAT THEY HAVE IN A YEAR.

A LOT OF THE DEATHS ARE HANDLED BY, IF THEY PASS AWAY IN THE HOSPITAL, THEY'VE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL FOR MORE THAN 24 HOURS.

THE HOSPITAL TAKES CARE OF IT.

THEY'VE BEEN IN HOSPICE CARE, HOSPICE TAKES CARE OF IT.

IF THEY PASS AWAY IN A NURSING HOME, NURSING HOME, THE CORONER'S OFFICE IS NOT HANDLING ALL 350 SOME ODD CALLS.

WHAT WE'VE STRUCTURED IN HER BUDGET IS ENOUGH MONEY.

WE PUT $15,000 FOR DEPUTY CORONERS, PART-TIME DEPUTY CORONERS.

WHAT MOST COUNTIES DO IS THEY PER PAY DEPUTY CORONERS ON A PER CALL BASIS.

THEY PAY 'EM $100 PER CALL.

THAT'S ENOUGH FOR 150 CALLS.

THAT'S MORE CALLS THAN THEY TYPICALLY RUN IN A YEAR FROM THE CORONER'S OFFICE.

UM, IN ADDITION TO THAT, WE'VE LEFT ANOTHER FULL-TIME PERSON IN THE CORONER'S OFFICE.

I TRIED TO HAVE DISCUSSION WITH THE CORONER TO SAY 'CAUSE SHE BRINGS UP THE $35,000 THAT THE STATE GIVES.

AND SHE'S ABSOLUTELY RIGHT.

SHE CAN USE THAT MONEY FOR WHATEVER SHE WANTS.

IF IT WAS CLARENDON COUNTY FUNDING IT AND I WAS MAKING THE RECOMMENDATION TO COUNCIL, I DON'T THINK THE CORONER'S OFFICE NEEDS A FULL-TIME ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT.

IF I WAS THE CORONER RUNNING THAT POSITION, I WOULD USE PART OF THAT MONEY AS MY AS I'D HAVE A FULL-TIME DEPUTY CORONER PERSON.

BUT I'VE SAID SHE DOESN'T WANT LISTEN TO.

SHE DOESN'T WANT HEAR ANYTHING THAT I HAVE TO SAY.

MY SUGGESTION TO HER WAS REACH OUT TO OTHER CORONERS IN AND I GAVE HER THE SAME INFORMATION.

HERE'S OTHER COUNTIES THAT ARE DOING THE EXACT SAME CORONER BUSINESS THAT YOU'RE DOING.

REACH OUT TO THEM TO SEE HOW THEY HAVE SOLVED THE PROBLEM TO DO THEIR WORK AT A LOWER COST.

BECAUSE MY CHARGE FROM COUNTY COUNCIL WAS TO FIND WAYS TO ELIMINATE COSTS TO TAKE THE BURDEN OFF OF THE CITIZENS OF CLARINET COUNTY.

NOW THE CORONER AND THE AUDITOR, AND I'M GONNA MAKE TWO POINTS.

I'M BE DONE.

AND CORONER, THE AUDITOR BOOSTED UP AND SAID STATE LAW SAYS COUNTY COUNCIL CAN'T DO ANYTHING TO THEIR BUDGET.

EH, THAT'S A MISINTERPRETATION.

WHAT STATE LAW SAYS YOU CAN'T TOUCH THE SALARY OF AN ELECTED OFFICIAL AND YOU CAN'T CUT THEIR BUDGET BACK TO THE POINT WHERE THEY CAN'T OPERATE ALLOWING ENOUGH DEPUTY CORONERS TO RUN EVERY SINGLE CALL THAT THAT OFFICE HAS.

AND HAVING ANOTHER FULL TIME POSITION IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE CORONER, I THINK IS MORE THAN AMPLE RESOURCES SO THAT THEY CAN EFFECTIVELY, THAT THE CORONER CAN EFFECTIVELY RUN HER OFFICE.

THE THE FINAL POINT I WOULD MAKE IS THIS.

AND THEY ASK FOR YOU GUYS NOT TO DO FOR COUNCIL NOT TO HAVE THIRD READING TONIGHT.

AND THAT IS UP TO YOU.

IF COUNCIL WANTS TO BALANCE THE CORONER'S BUDGET, PUT IT BACK WHERE IT GOES.

IT'S $142,000 AND CHANGE DIFFERENTLY.

THE ONLY TWO METHODS THAT YOU HAVE RIGHT NOW TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET OR TO RAISE TAXES BY 1.1 MILS FOR EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTY OR TAKE AWAY 1% OF THE 5% SALARY INCREASE THAT WE HAVE PUT IN THE BUDGET FOR ALL COUNT ALL COUNTY EMPLOYEES.

THAT'S THE ONLY TWO METHODS WE HAVE RIGHT NOW TO BALANCE THAT BUDGET.

WE CAN'T USE FUND BALANCE BECAUSE THIS IS AN ONGOING EXPENSE.

THIS IS AN EVERYDAY OCCURRENCE AND YOU DON'T NEED TO USE YOUR SAVINGS TO PAY FOR EVERYDAY EXPENDITURES.

YOU WANNA DO THAT FOR ONE TIME EXPENDITURES.

SO WE'VE HAD THAT DISCUSSION AND YOU ALL WILL REMEMBER THAT.

SO YOU GOTTA BE VERY CAREFUL IF YOU WANNA RESTORE THE CORONER'S BUDGET.

AND IT'S CERTAINLY WITHIN YOUR POWER AND AUTHORITY, BUT YOU HAVE TO BE CAREFUL HOW YOU DO IT.

AND THERE'S REALLY ONLY TWO WAYS TO DO IT RIGHT NOW.

SO THAT DECISION BECOMES YOURS AND I HOPE I'LL LEAVE IT ALONE.

MAY I DO A REBUTTAL FIRST? I'M NOT A LIAR.

WE HANDLE THOSE CALLS.

MATTER OF FACT, ON JULY 1ST WE ARE GOING TO HAVE CLARINE AND CARES WHERE WE HONOR EVERY NAME THAT CAME THROUGH MY OFFICE.

EVERY LIFE MATTER.

I DON'T CARE WHO IT IS.

EVERY LIFE MATTER.

BUT I ONLY HAD ONE MEETING WITH THE ADMINISTRATOR, JUST ME AND HIM.

THE OTHER TWO MEETING NELSON WAS THERE, BETTY

[01:45:01]

WAS THERE, BETTY PHILLIP WAS THERE AND CHARMAINE ANDERSON.

IF YOU NEED TO TALK TO CHARMAINE ANDERSON, SHE CAN VERIFY THAT EVERYTHING THAT I SAID TONIGHT WAS THE TRUTH.

I DID NOT FUDGE NOTHING.

I DID NOT CHANGE NOTHING.

I JUST PRESENTED TO YOU WHAT REALLY HAPPENED.

AND AS FAR AS THOSE OTHER COUNTIES, NEVER IN THE HISTORY OF THE CORONER'S OFFICE, HAVE THE CORONER'S OFFICE BEEN COMPARED TO ANY OTHER COUNTY.

AND THIS COUNCIL WOULD BE THE FIRST TIME THAT EVER HAPPENED.

MS. JACKIE.

TO BE FAIR, WE WE DIDN'T COMPARE YOU TO ANY OTHER COUNTY.

YOU BROUGHT ANOTHER COUNTY IN FOR COMPARISON.

NO.

THAT'S WHAT YOU CONSIDERED.

OTHER AGENCIES IN THIS COUNTY.

YOU BROUGHT ANOTHER COUNTY IN FOR COMPARISON.

THAT COUNTY HAS TWICE THE POPULATION, HALF THE DEATHS.

AND THEY ARE WORKING $70,000 CHEAPER THAN YOU ARE SIR.

IF YOU WERE JUST, LOOK, THAT'S THE SAME THING HE PRESENTED AT OUR RETREAT.

THAT'S THE SAME THING.

WENT ON THE AGENDA.

IT SAID THAT CORNER STATS, NOT CORNER COMPARISON.

SO THIS IS NOT THE THAT'S NOT ME.

THAT'S THE SAME THING THAT HE BROUGHT UP.

I SPOKE TO THOSE CORONERS AND I GOT ALL OF THEIR SUPPORT.

THEY SAID IF THEY NEED TO COME, THEY WILL COME AND TALK TO EACH ONE OF YOU INDIVIDUALLY.

I DID.

I HAVE THE SUPPORT OF THE SOUTH CAROLINA CORONERS ASSOCIATION FROM THE PRESIDENT TO THE OTHER 40 SOMETHING IN THIS COUNTY, I MEAN IN THE STATE.

SO I DO HAVE THEIR SUPPORT AND THEY WILL TELL YOU, EXCEPT FOR GEORGETOWN, I NEVER WAS PRESENTED WITH THEIR BUDGET AT ALL.

ONLY THING I GOT WAS I AGAIN, HOW DID I SAVE MONEY FOR THE COUNTY WHENEVER MY TRANSPORTATION PERSON TAKE SOMEONE FOR AN AUTOPSY BEFORE I BECAME CORONER A LOT EXCEPT FOR MR. HAYES.

SAMUEL, I HAVE TO GIVE HIM THE CREDIT.

HE STOPPED THAT THE FUNERAL HOME AT WHICH THEY'RE ASSIGNED WOULD HAVE TO GO TO CHARLESTON, PICK UP THAT BODY.

AND IF YOU EVER LOOKED AT THE BILL, THAT AMOUNT IS ON THE BILL ON THE FAMILY TO PAY FOR THAT.

THAT'S ADDED TO THE BILL.

I SAVED THE COUNTY, COUNTY.

I AM ONE OF TWO CORNERS IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THAT DOES NOT CHARGE FOR CREMATION PERMITS BECAUSE THAT AMOUNT WILL GO ON THE FAMILY BILL.

EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN DO TO KEEP FROM HAVING THE FAMILY TO PAY EXTRA.

WE DO TAKE YOUR MIND ALSO, I GET CALLS, I JUST SAID IT EARLIER, ONE OF THE FOUR CALLS FROM YESTERDAY CAME FROM OUT OF THE COUNTY.

I GET CALLS WHERE WITHIN THAT 24 HOURS THEY GO TO RICHMOND, THEY GO TO WHEREVER.

TO ME, WHATEVER.

KEEP IN MIND I STILL HAVE TO COUNT THAT AS A CORONER'S CALL MS. JEFF.

EVERY CORONER HAS TO DO THE SAME JOB.

I'M SORRY.

EVERY CORONER'S OFFICE DOES THE SAME JOB.

ALL I WANNA KNOW AND UNDERSTAND IS WHY IT'S SO MUCH DIFFERENCE IN PAY.

HOW CAN WILLIAMSBURG COUNTY RUN IT? $7 AND 37 CENTS.

SIR? IF I HAVE TO PROVE THAT THEY USE, THEY, THEY, THE COUNTY PAYS THEM FOR USING THEIR, THEY.

IF I HAVE TO PROVE THAT I CAN, I CAN DO THAT.

THE COUNTY PAY.

I HAVE SAVED THIS COUNTY FROM HAVING TO PAY AN OUTSIDE TRANSPORTATION PERSON.

MS. JACKSON, WHEN I GOT ONE IN HOUSE, HOW THIS IS ON PAPER, HOW, HOW CAN THEY DO THAT? SO LEMME ASK YOU THIS.

ANY FUNERAL DIRECTORS IN HERE? ANY, I WANT THEM TO TELL ANY EMS. THAT'S NOT MY, DO Y'ALL WANT US TO START USING Y'ALL, Y'ALL AMBULANCE WHEN Y'ALL SAY Y'ALL START TO TRANSPORT? I ASKED FOR A PLAN AND THOSE THAT'S WHAT I WAS GIVEN.

USE EMS PARK THE CARS AT THE, AT THE, TO LET THEM COME AND PICK UP THE CAR FROM THERE.

MS. JACKIE, THEY'RE THE SAME POPULATION WITH LESS MONEY.

THAT'S WHAT, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT.

EVERY DEPARTMENT HERE, WE LOOK AT OTHER COUNTIES LIKE YOU SAID, YOU DON'T DO THAT.

WE, THE ONLY TIME YOU'VE EVER SEEN IT HAPPEN IS WITH THIS OFFICE.

WE DO IT ALL THE TIME.

THAT'S WHY WE WERE LOSING SO MUCH EMS AND FIREFIGHTERS IS 'CAUSE EVERY COUNTY'S GETTING PAID OF.

AND WE WERE TRYING TO WORK THAT OUT.

'CAUSE EVERY COUNTY AROUND HERE IS GETTING PAID MORE.

THAT'S WHAT I WAS GETTING AT IN YOUR PACKET.

IN YOUR PACKET.

MS. JACKIE.

I I I UNDERSTAND.

I HAVE, MY QUESTION IS, I WANNA, I WANNA SAY THIS SO MUCH MORE IN YOUR PACKET.

I HAVE A COPY OF WHAT WAS SUBMITTED IN REFERENCE TO

[01:50:01]

DEPARTMENTS IN THIS COUNTY.

AND NONE OF THEM, NONE OF THEM GOT CUT.

100 TO 49,000 BUCKS OR 42,000 BUCKS.

NONE OF THEM EXCEPT FOR ME.

AND I'M TELLING YOU THAT IS NOT, THAT WASN'T THE QUESTION I ASKED.

AND SOME, SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THESE, SOME OF THESE, UM, BUDGETS HIRING AND I'VE BEEN HERE AGAIN, UH, SINCE 1977 AND I HAVE NEVER SEEN BUDGETS THAT HIGH AND IT'S HUMONGOUSLY HIGH THAN WHAT WAS IN PREVIOUS.

SO EVERYTHING THAT COUNTY COUNCIL PASSED LAST TIME, Y'ALL TELLING ME THAT IT'S NO INVOLVED.

SO WE STARTING ALL OVER AGAIN.

BUT I NEED COUNTY COUNCIL TO ANSWER THIS QUESTION, WHICH I ASKED MR. ACKERMAN, IS THIS COUNTY NOW HAS CHANGED A FORMAL GOVERNMENT WHERE WE ARE COUNTY COUNCIL STRONG ADMINISTRATOR, WEAK, OR ARE WE ADMINISTRATOR STRONG AND COUNCIL WEAK? WE CAN'T HAVE ONE FORM OF GOVERNMENT.

ADMINISTRATOR ACKERMAN IS DOING EXACTLY WHAT WE ASK HIM TO DO PRIOR TO YOU KNOWING WHAT MY, WHAT I PROPOSE HE DID IT WITH EVERYONE'S BUDGET AND HE DID EXACTLY WHAT WE ASKED HIM TO DO.

I JUST NEEDED THAT ON RECORD, SIR.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN.

FOR THE RECORD, THE CORONER IS THE ONLY SINGLE DEPARTMENT IN THE ENTIRE COUNTY THAT DID NOT GIVE US A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF EVERY SINGLE LINE ITEM.

AS WE ASKED IN THE RETREAT, EVERY OTHER DEPARTMENT IN THE COUNTY SAID IF I WANNA GO TO THIS TRAINING CLASS AND THAT TRAINING CLASS AND THAT THEY GAVE US A DETAILED BREAKDOWN OF WHAT ALL OF THOSE LINE ITEMS WERE FOR.

AND I WOULD TELL YOU WHY, BECAUSE I GOT FROM AP FROM FROM THEY, YOU ALREADY HAD THAT INFORMATION.

WHAT EVERY SINGLE HOUR WAS.

I GET A COPY OF EXPENDITURES ALL THE TIME.

SO WHY SHOULD I REPEAT WHAT YOU ALREADY HAD, MR. WE WE WERE ASKING FOR INFORMATION FOR THE 26 27 BUDGET.

I COULD THAT NOT FOR THINGS THAT HAD ALREADY HAPPENED.

JUST FOR CLARIFICATION.

I DO THAT.

SO ANYWAY, AGAIN, I'M ASKING YOU FOR LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL THAT YOU DID THE RIGHT THING BY THE ER'S OFFICE.

AND THAT'S ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

UH, MS. BLACKWELL, THANK YOU.

OH, I'M SORRY.

YEAH, YEAH.

JUST A COUPLE QUESTIONS.

SO YOU'RE SAYING THAT YOU CAN'T OPERATE YOUR OFFICE EFFECTIVELY WITH, WITH YOUR CURRENT BUDGET? NO, BUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET, THE CURRENT BUDGET, YES.

BUT THE PROPOSED BUDGET IS TO TAKE AWAY MY STAFF AND ONE OF THEM WASN'T EVEN HIRED BY THE COUNTY.

NO PART-TIME IS NOT GONNA CUT IT FOR CLARINET COUNTY.

IT'S JUST NOT.

UM, AND AGAIN, I'M ASKING EACH ONE OF YOU TAKE YOUR TIME AND LOOK, DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH.

THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.

DO YOUR OWN RESEARCH AND COME TO A CONCLUSION.

AND IF YOU SAY THAT I HAVE TO HAVE THAT 142,000 CUT FOR MY BUDGET, SO BE IT.

AND THEN WE WILL GO TO THE NEXT HALF.

THAT'S ALL.

MM-HMM .

THAT'S ALL I'M SAYING.

YEAH, I I, I UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU'RE SAYING, BUT I'M JUST TRYING TO, TO UNDERSTAND, YOU KNOW, YOUR BUDGET.

THAT'S ALL.

I, YOU KNOW, I I I WENT THROUGH IT.

YOU LOOK AT IT.

I'M JUST TRYING TO, TO UNDERSTAND THAT, YOU KNOW, I UNDERSTAND.

AND, AND WITH THE OTHER INFORMATION THAT PRESENTED TO US, IT JUST SEEMED, YOU KNOW, IT JUST, I DON'T KNOW.

THAT'S WHY I'M ASKING YOU.

YOU, I UNDERSTAND YOUR STAFF.

I KNOW, I KNOW WHAT YOU GOT THERE.

MM-HMM .

AND THAT'S WHAT IT TAKE FOR YOU TO OPERATE YOUR OFFICE EFFECTIVELY.

AND KEEP IN MIND THAT I AM AN ELECTED OFFICIAL.

ALRIGHT? YES MA'AM.

I'M AWARE OF THAT.

NEXT ON THE AGENDA, WE HAVE, UH, PROBABLY WISHES I WOULD'VE FORGOT THIS, BUT THE BIRTHDAY BOY, MR. NELSON GIBBONS.

AND I WANT TO BE TREATED AS THE OTHER ONES ARE IN THIS COUNTY.

THAT'S ALL I'M ASKING.

[11. Budget Presentations – Nelson Gibbons, Finance Director]

THERE YOU GO.

[01:55:04]

HIS WIFE TOLD ME AT A FUNERAL SATURDAY TO MAKE SURE I MENTIONED THAT IT WOULD BE HIS BIRTHDAY TODAY.

THANK YOU, SIR.

ALL RIGHT.

THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN.

I APPRECIATE THE BIRTHDAY.

SHOUT OUT.

I AM, UH, I'M 32 YEARS OLD TODAY, BUT GOING THROUGH THIS BUDGET, I FEEL LIKE I'M ACTUALLY YOUNGER, SO I FEEL YOUNGER THAN 32.

IT'S BROUGHT SOME LIGHT INTO ME.

WHAT ? ALRIGHT, I WILL KEEP THIS AS BRIEF AS POSSIBLE, BUT I DO HAVE, UH, SEVERAL, SEVERAL DETAILS I WANNA MAKE SURE I HIGHLIGHT FOR Y'ALL THIS EVENING.

LEMME GET MY BOOK STRAIGHT.

THAT FOR THE LIBRARY, IT'S BUDGETED TO USE $68,990 OF ITS FUND BALANCE.

SO FOR TONIGHT'S THIRD READING OF THE PROPOSED BUDGET, UM, GOING INTO THIS, WE WERE TASKED WITH A JOB.

UH, WE HAD TO ADDRESS THE CHALLENGES THAT ARE IN FRONT OF US ALL WHILE NOT INCREASING MILLS AND PROPERTY TAXES ON OUR CITIZENS.

THOSE CHALLENGES THAT WERE IN FRONT OF US, AND I'LL HIGHLIGHT 'EM AGAIN, WE TALKED ABOUT 'EM AT THE WORKSHOP.

WE HAVE CONSTANT INFLATION, WHICH IS RISING EXPENSES.

WE HAVE A REDUCTION OF FEDERAL REVENUES BEFORE US THIS YEAR.

AND ALSO WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS THE CAPITAL NEEDS OF OUR COUNTY.

THE ONE TIME MAJOR EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS RIGHT NOW, HVAC UNITS, MAJOR REPAIRS, THINGS THAT HAVE TO BE DONE RIGHT NOW.

AND FINALLY, WE HAD TO ADDRESS THE EMPLOYEE SALARY WAGES.

WE KNOW THAT CURRENTLY OUR SALARY BUDGET IS JUST OVER $12 MILLION COUNTYWIDE.

OUR SUSPICION IS THAT 15% IS WHAT WE'RE GOING TO NEED TO RAISE SALARIES ACROSS THE COUNTY.

SO $12 MILLION SALARIES.

AND WE KNOW THAT IN FRONT OF US WE'VE GOT REDUCTION OF FEDERAL REVENUES, CAPITAL EXPENSES, WE'VE GOT THE INFLATION COSTS.

AND ON TOP OF THAT, 15% OF THAT $12 MILLION CURRENT SALARIES IS 1.8 MILLION.

SO WITH THOSE CHALLENGES IN FRONT OF US, HOW DID WE ADDRESS THE BUDGET? AND I'LL BE QUICK.

WE BACKED UP AND WE ASSESSED THE PROCESSES OF HOW WE GO INTO THIS BUDGET, UH, HOW WE NORMALLY GO INTO OUR BUDGET.

NOT ONLY THAT, WE HAD TO TAKE A LOOK AT OUR 10 YEAR PLAN BECAUSE THESE CALLS THAT ARE COMING UP IN FRONT OF US RIGHT NOW, IT'S GOING TO BE PERPETUAL.

SO WE CAN'T ADDRESS THESE ISSUES IN ONE SINGLE YEAR.

WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT THIS BUDGET WORKS LIKE A DOMINO AT THE FRONT OF THIS 10 YEAR PLAN.

WE HAVE TO BE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER THIS BUDGET WITH THESE CHALLENGES, NOT ONLY TO ADDRESS THE NOW, BUT WE HAVE TO BE PREPARED TO ADDRESS NEXT YEAR AND THE YEAR AFTER.

AND THE YEAR AFTER.

THAT PLAYS A PART INTO, INTO, UM, EDDIE COMING UP EARLIER TO TALK ABOUT ENTERPRISE AND SOME COST SAVINGS.

SO ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE DID, WE REQUESTED DETAILED BACKUP FROM OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS.

IF THEY PUT DOWN A TYPICAL $10,000 EXPENDITURE ON THEIR BUDGET WORKSHEET, WE ASKED THEM TO GIVE US DETAIL, HEY, 1000 IS FOR THIS, 2000 IS FOR THIS, 5,000 IS FOR THIS.

AND WE SAT DOWN WITH ALMOST, ALMOST EVERY ONE OF OUR DEPARTMENT HEADS.

AND TOGETHER WITH A DISCUSSION, WE WORKED TOGETHER TO FIND WHERE WE COULD CUT EXPENSE.

IT WAS NOT AN EASY DISCUSSION.

SOME OF IT WAS EASY AND OTHER ONES WERE REALLY DIFFICULT, BUT EVERYONE UNDERSTOOD THE STRESS THAT WAS PUT ON THIS BUDGET AND WHAT IS IN FRONT OF US.

WE HAD TO ADDRESS IT AND WE HAD TO FIGURE OUT WAYS TO SAVE ON EXPENDITURES SO THAT WE CAN COVER THESE EXPENSES WITHOUT INCREASING THE PROPERTY TAXES ANY MORE THAN THEY ALREADY

[02:00:01]

ARE.

SO TONIGHT WITH THIS PACKET, I'M, I'M PROUD TO TO PRESENT TO YOU THIS 27 BUDGET WITH A NET REDUCTION OF 0.2 MILLS.

WISH IT WAS MORE, BUT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT THIS BUDGET TOGETHER AND ACROSS THE BOARD WE WILL HAVE A REDUCTION OF 0.2 MILLS.

NOW I'D LIKE TO ADD AGAIN, THAT, THAT 0.2 MILL REDUCTION AND THIS BUDGET, IT HAS GOT NINE YEARS OF PLAN BEHIND IT AND WE'VE BEEN WORKING FOR MONTHS NOW ON WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE IN THE FUTURE.

BUT WHERE WE ARE TODAY, WE'RE PROUD OF WHAT WE WERE ABLE TO PUT TOGETHER.

SO IN THIS PACKET THAT Y'ALL GOT, IT'S ONLY A HANDFUL OF PAGES HERE.

UH, IT'S GOT DETAILS OF THE CHANGES THAT HAVE TAKEN PLACE SINCE WHAT I GAVE YOU AT SECOND READING.

I'VE GOT A FULL BREAKDOWN OF THAT.

WE HAVE GOT THE FULL REVENUE DETAIL ANALYSIS THAT SHOWS YOU EVERY LINE ITEM FOR THE REVENUES THAT WE'RE GONNA BE EXPECTING THIS COMING YEAR.

IT'S GOT SUMMARIES FOR THE GENERAL FUND, THE FIRE FUND LIBRARY.

IT'S GOT WELDON WATER AND SEWER.

UH, IT'S GOT ALL OF OUR DEBT SERVICE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEBT PAYMENTS THAT WE HAVE COMING UP THIS YEAR.

AND IT'S ALSO GOT A BREAKDOWN IN THE BACK OF THE MILLS, THE SUMMARY OF THE MILLS THAT WILL BE ON PROPERTY TAX NOTICES IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.

SO WITH THAT ON YOUR SECOND PAGE THERE, AND I'LL GET YOU TO TURN WITH ME, I'VE PRETTY WELL SUMMARIZED THE HIGHLIGHTS OF EVERYTHING THAT YOU GOT THERE.

NOW Y'ALL CAN, Y'ALL CAN KEEP THOSE, BUT THESE ARE THE ONES THAT I REALLY WANTED TO HIT ON TONIGHT.

SO FOR THE GENERAL FUND, THAT BUDGET SITS RIGHT NOW AT $32,023,410.

THAT BUDGET HAS INCREASED FROM LAST YEAR, $10,570.

$10,570 IS WHAT THAT BUDGET HAS INCREASED FROM LAST YEAR'S BUDGET.

NOW SINCE SECOND READING, THE EXPENSES HAVE INCREASED $134,000.

SO I'VE GOT THOSE ON YOUR THIRD PAGE.

THEY'RE THE ONE RIGHT BEHIND IT.

I'VE GOT THOSE BROKEN DOWN IN DETAIL.

BUT THE SUMMARIES OF THE GENERAL FUND, THERE IS NO MILL INCREASE ON THE GENERAL FUND.

IT ALSO INCLUDES RIGHT NOW A 5% INCREASE FOR EMPLOYEE WAGES.

WE ARE ANTICIPATING 15 IS THE REAL NUMBER.

SO WE DO WISH IT WAS MORE, BUT RIGHT NOW WE'RE ABLE TO WORK 5% AND WE'RE WORKING ON A TWO TO THREE YEAR PLAN ON, ON GETTING US TO THE STANDARD THAT WE SHOULD BE AT.

SO THIS BUDGET, NO MILL INCREASE, 5% INCREASE FOR WAGES.

AND THAT'S IN ADDITION TO THE STEP INCREASE THAT WE ALREADY DO FOR OUR EMPLOYEES.

UH, IT INCLUDES A FUND BALANCE RESERVE USAGE.

THAT'S THE SAVINGS.

THAT MEANS THAT OUR EXPENSES AS MUCH AS WE CUT, WE STILL ARE GONNA HAVE TO USE SOME OF OUR SAVINGS TO MAKE THIS BUDGET BALANCE $412,360.

BUT KEEP IN MIND NOW RIGHT BELOW THAT $478,000 IS FOR ONE TIME CAPITAL EXPENDITURES.

SO WE TALKED ABOUT THIS IN THE BUDGET WORKSHOP.

WE'VE GOT THIS FUND BALANCE RESERVE AND YES, IT IS OUR SAVINGS.

WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WHENEVER WE USE THAT FUND BALANCE OUR SAVINGS, WE ARE USING IT FOR ONE TIME PURCHASES THAT WE MUST HAVE RIGHT NOW.

OKAY? SO THOSE ONE TIME EXPENDITURES, CAPITAL EXPENDITURES ARE $478,000.

NOW KEEP IN MIND, GOING BACK TO THE PERSONAL EXAMPLE, IF YOU'VE GOT A PERSONAL SAVINGS AT THE HOUSE, YOU MIGHT BE SAVING UP FOR THAT CAR THAT YOU'RE TRYING TO GET OR YOU MIGHT BE SAVING UP FOR THE SHOP THAT YOU WANNA PUT IN THE BACKYARD OR YOU'RE SAVING UP FOR THE HEAT AND AIR UNIT.

YOU GOTTA GET, THAT'S WHAT THOSE EXPENDITURES ARE IN THE CAPITAL LINE ITEM 478,000.

SO WE ARE PROUD OF THE GENERAL FUND, NO MILL INCREASE.

YES, WE ARE USING SOME FUND BALANCE RESERVE.

LAST YEAR THEY HAD BUDGETED $1.5 MILLION.

THIS YEAR WE'RE MAKING IT WORK WITH $412,000.

OKAY, MOVING ON TO THE FIRE RESCUE IN THE NEXT SECTION.

RIGHT DOWN THERE, THAT BUDGET, $9,899,120.

AGAIN, NO MILL INCREASE.

AND ON TOP OF THAT, IT INCLUDES ALREADY A 5% INCREASE FOR WAGES AS WELL.

SO NO FUND BALANCE TO MAKE THAT ONE BALANCE.

AND WE GOT EVERYBODY.

THE CURRENT SALARY INCREASES THAT WE NEEDED TO ADDRESS FOR THE LIBRARY.

SAME THING, NO MILL INCREASE ON THE LIBRARY.

THAT BUDGET IS $944,620.

NOW IT DOES INCLUDE THE 5% WAGE INCREASE.

SO WE GOT THAT IN THERE.

IT WAS 23,000 IN SOME CHANGE.

BUT YOU'LL ALSO SEE IN THOSE SUMMARIES, IT'S IN THE BACK

[02:05:01]

ITS SAVINGS.

THOSE SAVINGS, THAT FUND BALANCE IS BEING USED FOR THE ONE TIME PURCHASE OF THE BOOKS TO FILL THE TURVILLE LIBRARY.

SO A FEW MEETINGS AGO, A COUPLE READINGS AGO, AT THAT TIME, WE WERE NOT ANTICIPATING THAT THE TURVILLE LIBRARY WOULD BE FINISHED THIS FISCAL YEAR.

SOME THINGS EVOLVED.

WE GOT THE HEADS UP THAT IT'S GONNA BE DONE THIS YEAR.

WE GOTTA BUY BOOKS TO PUT IT IN THERE.

THOSE BOOKS, SOME OF THEM WILL BE SUPPLEMENTED WITH THAT SAVINGS.

SO WE'RE COMFORTABLE KNOWING THAT, OKAY, WATER AND SEWER AND WELDING EARN HERE AS WELL.

THEY'VE GOT A LITTLE BIT OF INCREASE ON THEIR REVENUES AS EXPECTED, WELDING'S BACK OPEN FOR BUSINESS.

SO WE'RE EXPECTING TO HAVE SOME RENTAL INCOME ON THAT.

UH, THE FINAL STEP OF THE BUDGET WOULD BE OUR DEBT SERVICE FOR THE GENERAL FUND OR THE GENERAL COUNTY DEBT SERVICE.

WE WERE ABLE TO REDUCE THOSE MILLS BY 0.7 0.7 MILLS.

SO THE GENERAL COUNTY DEBT REDUCED BY 0.7.

SO YOU HEARD ME SAY EARLIER THAT WE HAD A REDUCTION OF 0.2, SOMETHING HAD TO GO UP.

SO FOR FIRE RESCUE, THE DEBT SERVICE ON FIRE RESCUE, NO MILL INCREASE, NO CHANGE.

HOWEVER, WE DID ON EMS, WE GOT SOME FINANCING FOR AN AMBULANCE.

SO THAT EMS HAD TO GO UP BY 0.5, GO UP 0.5, DROP THE COUNTY DOWN.

GENERAL 0.7, NET REDUCTION OF 0.2 MILLS.

SO IN THIS PACKET I'VE GOT THE SUMMARIES FOR GENERAL FIRE, LIBRARY, WATER, SEWER, WELDING, UH, THE DEBT SERVICE PAYMENTS ARE IN THERE, AND ALL THE WAY IN THE BACK YOU'LL SEE A BREAKDOWN OF THE MILLS.

SO IF YOU WANT TO DIVE INTO THE GENERAL FUNDS, UM, ON THE FAR RIGHT COLUMN, IT WILL ACTUALLY SHOW YOU ALL OF THE DEPARTMENTS THAT WE DID HAVE TO HAVE A, A REDUCTION OF EXPENDITURES FROM.

UM, BUT YOU'LL NOTICE ON THE NON-DEPARTMENTAL THAT THAT BUDGET IS SHOWING AN INCREASE RIGHT NOW, 523.

THAT'S BECAUSE IT IS INCLUDING THAT RIGHT NOW, THE SALARY INCREASES OF 765,000.

SO THAT BUDGET SHOWS RIGHT NOW THAT IT LOOKS LIKE IT WENT UP 5 23.

BUT REALLY AND TRULY IT'S PICKING UP RIGHT NOW $765,000.

SO NON-DEPARTMENTAL HAD A REDUCTION, A COUPLE HUNDRED THOUSAND DOLLARS AS WELL.

SO I WANT Y'ALL TO TAKE THESE AND TAKE A LOOK AT 'EM.

UM, YOU CAN FEEL FREE TO ASK ME ANY QUESTIONS AT ANY TIME.

I KNOW MOST OF THEM WE'VE ALREADY ADDRESSED, BUT IF YOU'LL REAL QUICK WITH ME, WE CAN FLIP OVER TO THE NEXT PAGE.

AND IT'S GOT SOME GREEN AND RED ON IT.

I WANTED TO GET IT UP ON THE, THE SCREEN TONIGHT.

WOULD YOU GO IN A LITTLE MORE DETAIL ABOUT THE AMBULANCE THAT WAS FINANCED, THAT WE'RE INCREASING THAT MILLAGE FOR, FROM TWO TENTHS OF A MILL TO SEVEN TENTHS OF A MILL? SO BASICALLY WE DID HAVE A, A, AN AMBULANCE THAT WAS FINANCED SEVERAL MONTHS BACK.

AND SO, YOU KNOW, A YEAR AGO, WELL, A YEAR AGO, YES.

SO WITH THAT, THE WAY THAT YOU CALCULATE THE MILLS IS YOU LOOK AT WHAT THE UPCOMING PAYMENT'S GONNA BE IN THE UPCOMING YEAR.

WE HAVE TO TAKE THE VALUE OF OUR MILL, MULTIPLY IT BY THE MILL ITSELF.

YOU DO THAT QUICK CALCULATION AND WE HAD A, WE WERE GONNA BE SHORT ON THE MONEY TO FINANCE THE UPCOMING PAYMENTS FOR THE AMBULANCE.

SO WE HAD TO MAKE A REDUCTION, OR EXCUSE ME, AN INCREASE ON THAT ONE RIGHT THERE.

SO IT WAS OVER A YEAR AGO THAT, THAT, THAT THAT FINANCE WAS PUT INTO PLACE.

BUT WE, THE PAYMENTS ARE COMING UP IN THIS FISCAL YEAR.

SO THAT'S WHY THAT ONE HAD TO BE INCREASED BY 0.5.

DID I HELP YOU THERE? THANK YOU.

OKAY, SO I'LL BE SUPER QUICK.

UM, THIS IS A SUMMARY WHERE WE LEFT OFF AT THE LAST SECOND READING.

I THINK WE HAD A REDUCTION OF LIKE $620.

SO WHAT HAPPENED? HOW DID IT GO UP $130,000? UH, I'VE GOT 'EM ALL HIGHLIGHTED HERE.

IT'S, UH, WE HAD A, A TRANSFER THAT GOT RENEWED.

IT WAS $80,000.

WE HAD, UM, A, WELL, ACTUALLY PART OF IT TOO IS, IS, UH, OUR SHERIFF STOOD UP AND TALKED TO YOU A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AGREEMENT THAT WE'VE GOT WITH SUMMERTON.

WELL, THAT DEVELOPMENT GOT INCLUDED IN HERE.

SO WE HAD TO ADD IN THE SALARIES, HEALTH INSURANCE, FICA FOR ALL FOR THOSE TWO NEW POSITIONS AS WELL.

SO THAT WAS A BIG CHUNK OF THE INCREASE RIGHT THERE.

NOW, IT DID GET BALANCED RIGHT BACK OUT WITH THE OFFSET FROM SUMMERTON.

SO THE NET EFFECT ON THE BUDGET WAS ZERO, INCREASED THE INCOME BY 200,000 FROM SUMMERTON, INCREASED THE EXPENDITURES TO COVER THE POSITIONS THAT WERE ADDING THE FUEL AND EXPENSE IN THE VEHICLES, $200,000.

SO IT HAD A NET OF ZERO.

BUT WHEN YOU LOOK AT THIS AND

[02:10:01]

IT SAYS THAT YOUR EXPENSES INCREASED $134,000, REALLY AND TRULY, WE ACTUALLY REDUCED IT A LITTLE BIT MORE.

WE REDUCED IT AND THEN WE HAD TO BUMP IT BACK UP JUST A HAIR.

SO I JUST WANTED Y'ALL TO AT LEAST HAVE THAT.

SO YOU CAN SAY, OR YOU CAN TAKE A LOOK AT, ALRIGHT, WELL HOW DID WE GO FROM $620 CHANGE A MEETING TO GO TO? HOW DID ALL OF A SUDDEN GO UP $130,000? SO I'VE GOT THAT BROKEN DOWN FOR YOU AS WELL.

UM, I DON'T KNOW, THERE'S BEEN REALLY NO OTHER MAJOR CHANGES.

WE DID HAVE ONE CHANGE IN OUR, UH, IN OUR REVENUES.

UM, IT WAS MINIMAL AS WELL.

SO AS FAR AS BIG TICKET ITEMS, THERE HAS NOT BEEN A WHOLE LOT.

BUT ULTIMATELY THE BIGGEST TAKEAWAY THAT WE GOT FOR YOU TONIGHT IS, UM, WE WERE ABLE TO ACCOMPLISH THE TASK.

WE WERE ABLE TO ADDRESS THE ISSUES.

IT'S NOT JUST A ONE YEAR PLAN.

UH, WE ARE FORMULATING THIS 10 YEAR PLAN, UH, TO BE ABLE TO ADDRESS THINGS GOING FORWARD, RIGHT? SO WE'RE PROUD OF IT.

NET REDUCTION 0.2 MILLS, UH, ALL OUR MAJOR, UH, GENERAL FUND, FIRE LIBRARY, NO MILL INCREASE THERE.

AND ANY OF THE FUND BALANCE THAT WE'RE USING, WANNA REITERATE IT'S FOR THOSE ONETIME CAPITAL EXPENSES THAT WE HAVE TO HAVE RIGHT NOW.

AND I'VE GOT THAT BROKEN DOWN HERE AS WELL.

IT'S, IT'S PROBABLY THE PAGE, RIGHT? UH, AFTER THE GENERAL FUND BUDGET.

SO IF YOU, IF YOU FLIP BACK AND YOU WANNA TAKE A LOOK AT IT, IT'LL DE IT'LL SHOW YOU DETAIL WHAT EACH ONE OF THOSE ITEMS ARE.

OKAY? SO AS FAR AS THE BUDGET GOES, THAT'S WHAT I GOT FOR TONIGHT.

BUT IF Y'ALL GOT ANY QUESTIONS OR, OR ANYTHING, I'M, I'M HAPPY TO ADDRESS SOME HELP.

I GOT ONE QUESTION.

YES SIR.

THE STEP, WHAT'S THE STEP 1.0 1 6 3 5 8? YEP.

BASICALLY WHAT THAT IS 1.6%? YEAH.

BASICALLY WHAT THAT, WHICH STEP THEY'RE GETTING A 6.6 0.6.

6.6.

SO BASICALLY WHAT THAT IS, IS IT'S A LONGEVITY THAT YEAH.

EVERYBODY GETS THAT ANYWAY.

SO WHENEVER YOU START 5%, WHAT'S THAT? EVERYBODY'S GETTING A 5% CORRECT THAT EVERYBODY'S GETTING 5% AFTER THEIR LONGEVITY STEP.

WHEN WILL THAT TAKE EFFECT? THAT WOULD BE, YOU PASS THIS BUDGET, IT WOULD BE JULY THE FIRST.

YES SIR.

SO THE LONGEVITY STEP, JUST TO MAKE IT TOTALLY CLEAR, YOU HIRE SOMEBODY, WE'VE GOT SALARY RANGES, RIGHT? THEY'VE GOT A STARTING AND THEN THEY'VE GOT, YOU KNOW, A MINIMUM AND MAXIMUM.

WELL, WHENEVER SOMEBODY STARTS EACH YEAR, THEY HAVE ONE MORE YEAR OF EXPERIENCE.

SO THE STEP INCREASES PUT IN PLACE TO GIVE THAT LITTLE BUMP FOR THOSE THAT HAVE YEARS OF EXPERIENCE WITH THE COUNTY IN THEIR POSITION.

DOES THAT MAKE, DOES THAT HELP? IS THAT CLEAR? OKAY.

ANY, ANY OTHER, IS THERE ANYTHING THAT I MISSED? YOU THINK? OKAY.

I THINK YOU GOT IT COVERED.

ALRIGHT, WELL Y'ALL, Y'ALL KEEP THESE NOW THE FULL BINDER, WE'LL HAVE IT FOR YOU AFTER WE, ASSUMING WE PASS THE THIRD READING, PUT THE FULL BINDER, YOU'LL HAVE ALL THE DEPARTMENT PAGES.

THE REASON WHY I DON'T HAVE IT NOW IS BECAUSE THE WHOLE THING WOULD BE TAKEN BACK APART BECAUSE NON-DEPARTMENTAL IS HOUSING.

THE SALARY INCREASES RIGHT NOW.

SO WE PASSED THE BUDGET.

THAT SALARY INCREASE IS GONNA GET ALLOCATED.

IT'S GONNA GET MOVED INTO ALL THE DEPARTMENTS.

THE REASON WHY WE DIDN'T GO AHEAD AND DO IT ON THE FRONT END IS IN THE EVENT WE WERE NOT ABLE TO GIVE EVERYBODY A 5% RAISE, IT'S EASIER TO CHANGE ONE NUMBER FROM 5% TO FOUR, TO THREE TO TWO TO WHATEVER.

IT'S EASIER TO CHANGE ONE NUMBER THAN CHANGE.

40 OF THEM.

WELL, SEVERAL HUNDRED.

LIKE A LOT OF THEM.

SO, UM, THAT'S WHY YOU DON'T HAVE THE FULL PACKET IS JUST BECAUSE THAT NUMBER, THAT NUMBER IS REALLY HANGING UP, HANGING UP THE WHOLE BOOK.

SO WE PASS THE BUDGET, WE'LL ALLOCATE ALL THE SALARY RAISES, UH, TO ALL DEPARTMENTS, PRINT OUT THE FINAL PAGES, PUT IT IN THE BIG BOOK FOR YOU.

ONE MORE JUST TO MAKE CLEAR FOR THE PUBLIC, NO ELECTED OFFICIAL WILL GET THAT 5% CORRECT.

THE ELECTED OFFICIALS.

YEAH, IT'S ACROSS THE BOARD.

IT'S ACROSS THE IT'S ACROSS THE LIST.

NO, THAT'S, YEAH.

NOBODY'S GOTTEN A RAISE.

IT'S COST OF LIVING.

YEAH, IT'S COST OF LIVING.

ELECTED OFFICIALS DON'T GET THE STEP.

BUT WE HAVEN'T HAD A COST OF LIVING RAISE IN ABOUT FOUR YEARS NOW.

UM, SO EVERYBODY'S EVERYBODY'S SALARY.

ELECT.

SO ELECTED OFFICIALS ARE INCLUDED IN THE FIVE, 5%.

ALL THE CITIZENS IN THE COUNTY 3.9 MILLS FOR OPERATING THE FIE DEBOSE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL.

ANY OTHER? WE GOOD? OKAY.

THANK Y'ALL.

LIKE I SAID, JUST BECAUSE WE'RE DONE NOW DOESN'T MEAN YOU CAN'T CALL EMAIL AND MR. CHAIRMAN, I'LL ADD ONE OTHER THING.

UM, AND NELSON DIDN'T TOUCH ON IT AS PART OF THE BUDGET PROCESS THIS YEAR, UM, WE'RE GONNA ASK COUNCIL TO DO SOMETHING THAT HAS NO EFFECT ON ANYBODY EXCEPT THE PRINTING OF THE TAX BILLS IN THE PAST FOR FOREVER AND EVER AND EVER.

CLARENDON COUNTY HAS TAXED

[02:15:01]

UM, BACK, WAY BACK IN THE DAY, FIE DEBOSE WAS A SEPARATE ENTITY.

THEY WERE A SEPARATE LEGAL ENTITY AWAY FROM THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BECAUSE THEY SERVED ALL THREE SCHOOL DISTRICTS AT THE TIME ONCE THE CONSOLIDATION OCCURRED.

NOW, THE VOCATIONAL SCHOOL IS JUST ANOTHER DEPARTMENT OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT OVERALL.

SO WE ARE CURRENTLY ON THE TAX BILL.

IT SHOWS A SCHOOL DISTRICT MILLAGE AND THEN A SEPARATE MILLAGE FOR F FE DEBO.

WHAT WE WOULD LIKE TO DO IS JUST COMBINE THOSE TWO MILLAGES SO EVERYBODY'S STILL PAYING THE SAME THING.

EVERYBODY WHO'S, UM, OWNER OCCUPIED HOME STILL GETS THE, THE SCHOOL TAX CREDIT.

NOTHING CHANGES EXCEPT THERE'S ONE LESS LINE ON THE TAX BILL AND IT MAKES IT A LOT CLEANER AND SIMPLER.

WE'VE INCLUDED THAT IN THIS BUDGET AS WELL.

JUST TO PIGGYBACK OFF OF THAT, HIS, THE BREAKDOWN HE'S TALKING ABOUT, THAT'S YOUR NEXT TO LAST PAGE.

SO IF YOU FLIP ALL THE WAY THE, THE NEXT TO LAST PAGE THAT'S GOT OUR CURRENT MILLAGE BREAKDOWN, AND THE THIRD ONE THAT YOU'LL SEE IS 3.9 MILL FOR F DEBOS VOCATIONAL SCHOOL.

AND THEN NEXT TO THE BOTTOM, OR EXCUSE ME, THE, UH, I DIDN'T PRINT OFF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT ON THERE.

WELL THE REASON I BRING THAT UP IS WHEN WE COME DOWN TO THE THIRD READING OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET TONIGHT, WE WILL NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT WE SPECIFY TO ADD OR TRANSFER THAT 3.9 MILS FROM THE COUNTY'S TAXING AUTHORITY TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT'S TAXING AUTHORITY.

SO YEAH, BUT THE, THE BREAKDOWN IS NEXT TO LAST PAGE F YOU DEBOS IS SHOWING THAT 3.9.

SO ESSENTIALLY, INSTEAD OF US HAVING $1 IN TWO DIFFERENT SPOTS AND THEN GIVING THE SCHOOL DISTRICT $2, WE WOULD JUST HAVE $2 STACKED ON TOP OF EACH OTHER AND GIVE THE SCHOOL DISTRICT $2.

DOES THAT MAKE SENSE? YES.

ALRIGHT,

[12. Ordinance 2026-04]

MOVING ON.

NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH FOUR, CONSIDERATION OF THE THIRD AND FINAL READING OF ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH FOUR.

AN ORDINANCE TO PROVIDE FOR LEVY OF TAXES FOR CLA COUNTY PURPOSES OF CLA COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA FOR THE FISCAL YEAR, BEGINNING JULY 1ST, 2026, AND ENDING JUNE 30TH, 2027.

THIS IS THIRD AND FINAL READING ON THE BUDGET.

ANY CONVERSATION? DO I HAVE A MOTION? MOTION.

MOTION PASSED.

GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN COPE.

HUH? SECOND.

FROM COUNCILMAN RODIN.

NEXT, UH, WE HAVE THIRD AND FINAL READING.

AYE.

ALL OPPOSED? MOTION CARRIES.

[13. Ordinance 2026-07 -School District Budget]

OH, ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH SEVEN.

THIS IS THE THIRD AND FINAL READING OF THE CLA COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT BUDGET.

DO I HAVE A MOTION WE PASS? MR. CHAIRMAN, PLEASE? MOTION TO APPROVE.

DO HAVE A MOTION THE SHIFTING OF THE 3.9 BILLS? DO I HAVE A MOTION THAT WE APPROVE WITH THE SHIFTING OF THE 3.9 BILLS FROM CLARENDON COUNTY? CLAREY COUNTY TO THE SCHOOL DISTRICT? YES, SIR.

SO, MOTION? YES, I HAVE A MOTION.

COUNCILMAN RICHARD.

SECOND.

COUNCILMAN COKER.

ALL IN FAVOR? A ALL OPPOSED MOTION CARRIES.

[14. Ordinance 2026-06]

NEXT WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH SIX, CONSIDERATION OF THE SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH SIX AND ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING PURSUANT TO TITLE 12, CHAPTER 44, DAKOTA LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA TO AMEND THE EXECUTION AND DELIVERY OF A FEE IN LIEU OF AVALOR TAXES FOR SPECIAL SOURCE REVENUE CREDIT AGREEMENT BETWEEN CLA COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA AND PROJECT GOLDEN.

YES, I HAVE, I HAVE A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN RICHON.

SECOND.

SECOND FOR COUNCILMAN CO.

ARE ALL IN FAVOR? AYE.

MOTION CARRIES.

NEXT,

[15. Public Hearing 2026-09]

WE HAVE A PUBLIC HEARING AND ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF NOT EXCEEDING 2.5 MILLION GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND IN ONE OR MORE SERIES.

IS THERE ANYONE WHO WOULD LIKE TO SPEAK ON THAT? I'D LIKE TO OPEN THE FLOOR FOR A PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT ISSUE.

WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2026 DASH OH NINE, CONSIDERATION OF THE SECOND READING OF ORDINANCE 20 26 0 9 AND ORDINANCE AUTHORIZING THE ISSUANCE AND SALE OF NOT EXCEEDING 2.5 MILLION GENERAL OBLIGATION BOND.

I'D LIKE TO CLOSE THE, CLOSE THE PUBLIC HEARING ON THAT.

[16. Ordinance 2026-09]

DO I HAVE A MOTION WE APPROVE.

[02:20:01]

MOVE MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN RICHARDSON.

SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN RODIN.

WE HAVE ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 10 CONSIDERATION OF THE FIRST READING OF ORDINANCE 2026 DASH 10 AND ORDINANCE OF THE PLANNING COUNTY OF OF THE COUNTY COUNCILS OF CLATON COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA TO AMEND THE COUNTY'S OFFICIAL ZONING MAP DESIGNATION FROM TAX MAP PARTIAL 2 3 9 DASH ZERO ZERO DASH ZERO FIVE DASH ZERO THREE DASH ZERO ZERO FROM INDUSTRIAL TWO TO AGRICULTURE TWO AND PROVIDING AN EFFECTIVE DATE.

ALL OPPOSED.

MOTION CARRIES.

[17. Ordinance 2026-10]

MS. TABITHA, YOU WANNA TELL US WHAT THAT IS? YES SIR, PLEASE.

SECOND FROM COUNCILMAN COOPER.

UM, GOOD EVENING.

UM, MR. CHAIRMAN, THE MEMBERS OF COUNCIL, UM, THIS IS A REQUEST TO AMEND THE OFFICIAL ZONING MAP OF THE PROPERTY LOCATED AT 54 94 GREELEYVILLE HIGHWAY.

UM, AND IT'S ALSO KNOWN AS, UM, SOUTH COUNTY, UM, 5 21 SOUTHEAST OF MANNING.

UM, THE PROPERTY, UM, AS YOU STATED, WAS A, UM, IDENTIFIED AS A TAX MAP NUMBER 2 3 9 0 5 DASH ZERO THREE DASH ZERO AND IT CONTAINS, UM, APPROXIMATELY 61.99 ACRES AND IS OWNED BY DIANE JONES AND OTHERS.

AND THE APPLICANT IS MR. MITCHELL AND HE IS HERE THIS EVENING.

UM, THIS REQUEST IS TO THE PROPERTY FROM INDUSTRIAL TWO TO AGRICULTURAL TWO.

UM, AND THE PURPOSE OF THE REZONING IS TO ALLOW THE PLACEMENT OF A MANUFACTURED HOME ON THE PROPERTY, WHICH IS PERMITTED IN AGRICULTURAL TWO DISTRICT, BUT NOT IN INDUSTRIAL TWO DISTRICT.

SO, UM, THE PROPERTY, UM, IS LOCATED PREDOMINANTLY IN THE RURAL AREA WITH AGRICULTURAL USES, UM, AND SCATTERED RESIDENTIAL DEVELOPMENT, UM, INCLUDING AND IT HAS IT INCLUDING EXISTING MANUFACTURED HOMES.

UM, THIS WENT BEFORE THE PLANNING COMMISSION.

THE PLANNING COMMISSION FOUND THAT THE PROPOSED AGRICULTURE TWO ZONING DISTRICT IS COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING AREA AND CONSISTENT WITH THE RURAL CHARACTER OF THE COMMUNITY.

UM, STAFF ALSO DETERMINED THAT THE REQUEST IS CONSISTENT WITH THE CLA COUNTY COMPREHENSIVE PLAN, PARTICULARLY THE GOALS PROMOTING DIVERSE AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING OPPORTUNITIES WHILE MAINTAINING COMPATIBILITY WITH THE SURROUNDING LAND USES.

UM, BASED UPON THE VIEW PLANNING COMMISSION, FOUND THAT THE PROPOSED AGRICULTURE TWO ZONING DISTRICT IS CONSISTENT WITH THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN.

THE EXISTING AND THE PROPOSED USE USES AND ARE COMPATIBLE WITH THE SURROUNDING LAND USES AND SUFFICIENT EVIDENCE, UM, HAS BEEN PRE PRESENTED TO JUSTIFY THE REQUESTED MAP AMENDMENT.

SO THE PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDS APPROVAL OF THE REQUEST TO REZONE THE TAX MAP NUMBER 2 3 9 DASH 0 0 5 DASH ZERO THREE DASH ZERO ZERO FROM AGRICULTURAL TWO TO FROM UM, INDUSTRIAL TWO TO AGRICULTURAL TWO.

AND I'M HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS.

THIS IS JUST A, UM, REZONING IN ORDER FOR THE, UM, OWNERS TO PLACE A MANUFACTURED HOME ON THE PROPERTY BECAUSE RIGHT NOW IT'S CURRENT, IT WAS CURRENTLY, UM, ZONED FOR INDUSTRIAL TWO WHEN IT HAD A JUNK YARD IN THE PLACE.

BUT THAT JUNK YARD IS NO LONGER A FACTOR.

ANY QUESTION? I GOT A MOTION.

WE PROCEED.

GOT A MOTION FROM COUNCILMAN RODIN.

SECOND.

NEXT WE HAVE THE FINANCE REPORT FOR MR. NELSON GIS, OUR FINANCE DIRECTOR.

ALL OPPOSED.

MOTION CARRIED.

[18. Finance Report – Nelson Gibbons, Finance Director]

SURE.

SEEMS, SEEMS TO BE WANTING TO HOG UP THE PODIUM TONIGHT.

YEAH, BOSS TOLD ME I COULD GIVE THE REPORT FROM SITTING DOWN OVER THERE.

WHAT IT IS IS WE'VE GOT A COMPETITION ON TIES AND HE DOESN'T WANT ME TO GET UP HERE IN FRONT OF EVERYBODY WITH MY NICER TIE THAN HE'S GOT ON.

SO ANYWAY.

NEXT WE HAVE OUR ADMINISTRATIVE REPORT WITH ADMINISTRATOR MR. WAL ACKERMAN.

AND, UH, ALSO, I WAS GOING TO READ THESE ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE DECIMAL PLACE AND HE TOLD ME I BETTER NOT DO THAT TOO.

SO I'M PICKING AT YOU.

UM, FOR TONIGHT'S FINANCIAL REPORT, UH, I'LL BE QUICK WITH IT.

SO THESE REPORTS ARE THROUGH MAY, THE 31ST, 2026.

THAT'S OUR PERIOD OF 11, OF OUR 12 MONTH FISCAL YEAR.

THAT'S THE EQUIVALENT OF 92% OF THE WAY, 92% OF THE WAY THROUGH OUR FISCAL YEAR.

UH, STARTING WITH THE GENERAL FUND.

YEAR TO DATE, REVENUES ARE JUST, UH, JUST UNDER $25.9 MILLION.

NOW, THAT IS CURRENTLY 85% OF OUR BUDGET.

SO 85% OF OUR BUDGET FOR 92% OF OUR YEAR.

DON'T BE ALARMED.

IT'S EXPECTED.

WE'VE GOT A, A LARGE AMOUNT OF REVENUES THAT WE DON'T RECEIVE UNTIL JULY FOR THIS, UH, THIS FISCAL YEAR.

SO THAT IS EXPECTED.

UH, OUR YEAR TO DATE EXPENDITURES, UH, $27.2 MILLION FOR THE GENERAL FUND.

85% OF THE BUDGET, 85% OF THE BUDGET

[02:25:01]

THROUGH 92% OF THE YEAR.

THAT'S GOOD.

FIRE RESCUE.

YEAR TO DATE REVENUES, THIS IS EXCLUDING GRANTS.

ALL THESE ARE EXCLUDING GRANTS BY THE WAY.

UH, FIRE RESCUE IS JUST OVER 9 MILLION.

THAT IS 95% OF THEIR BUDGET, VERY FAVORABLE, OVER 92%.

THEIR EXPENDITURES THROUGHOUT THE YEAR ARE $8.9 MILLION.

THAT'S 93% AND IT IS EXPECTED AS WELL.

SO, UH, VERY FAVORABLE FOR THE, THE FIRE RESCUE DEPARTMENT.

WATER AND SEWER, UH, THROUGH MAY 31ST, IT WAS TOTAL OPERATING REVENUES WERE 1.5 MILLION.

OPERATING EXPENSES JUST UNDER 800,000 HAD A NET OPERATING REVENUE OF JUST UNDER $700,000.

UH, OUR NON-OPERATING REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES HAD A NET REDUCTION OF 677,000.

SO CURRENTLY WATER AND SEWERS THAT HAVE NET UTILITY INCOME $21,832.

AND FINALLY FOR THE C FUNDS, UH, FOR THE MONTH OF MAY, C FUNDS HAD A BEGINNING BALANCE OF 7.7 MILLION.

UH, REVENUES AND INTEREST EARNINGS TOTALED 177,000.

THE EXPENDITURES WERE JUST OVER A MILLION DOLLARS, SO THE C FUNDS ENDING BALANCE WAS $6.9 MILLION IN SOME CHANGE C FUNDS.

THAT WAS THE ENDING BALANCE.

NOW OF THE 6.9, WE HAVE GOT CURRENT PROJECT COMMITMENTS THAT ARE JUST OVER 3 MILLION.

THAT LEAVES US WITH AN UNCOMMITTED FUND BALANCE FOR THE C FUNDS.

3.9 MILLION.

THAT'S ALL I GOT FOR TONIGHT.

[19. Administrator’s Report –Walt Ackerman, County Administrator]

UH, THANK YOU MR. CHAIRMAN.

UM, AND I, I'VE GOT A VERY DETAILED REPORT IN YOUR PACKET TONIGHT.

UH, MOST OF IT CENTERS AROUND CAPITAL PROJECTS.

UH, WE ARE MAKING QUITE A BIT OF HEADWAY WITH A LOT OF OUR CAPITAL PROJECTS NOW.

UM, WE ARE PROBABLY A FEW MONTHS AWAY FROM FINISHING THE ANIMAL CONTROL FACILITY AND THE PUBLIC WORKS AND VEHICLE MAINTENANCE FACILITIES.

WE HAVE FINALLY STARTED GOING VERTICAL ON THE 9 1 1, UH, CENTER.

THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT CENTER, 9 1 1 FACILITY.

THEY'VE BEEN, THEY'VE GOT ALL THE CONCRETE BLOCK WALLS UP.

THEY'RE STANDING STEEL UP.

UM, TOOK FOREVER TO GET OUT THE GROUND, BUT ONCE THEY GOT GOOD, WHEN THEY, THEY REALLY STARTED MOVING ON A LOT OF OUR WATER PROJECTS.

WE SHOULD BE GETTING AUTHORIZATION FROM DEC TO START TURNING ON SOME WATER.

AND IN SOME OF THESE LARGE SECTIONS THAT WE'VE BEEN, UM, PARTICULARLY DOWN AROUND THE LAKE AND WHERE WE'VE GOT, IT'LL INCREASE OUR FIRE PROTECTION.

UH, WE'VE GOT OUR, OUR ELEVATED TANK IS UP, IT'S PAINTED, IT SAYS CLARINET COUNTY ON THE SIDE, BUT WE'RE WAITING ON ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS FOR THE PUMP HOUSE.

AND IT'S GONNA BE THIS FALL BEFORE, BEFORE THOSE COME IN.

WE ARE NEARLY, WELL, WE'RE GONNA GET STARTED.

IT WON'T TAKE AS LONG TO PUT UP A LITTLE SMALL BUILDING AT THE, UH, FIRING RANGE THAT THE SHERIFFS ALSO BE USING.

AND WE ARE CURRENTLY CHASING DOWN PERMITS FOR NEWMAN BRANCH TO TRY TO GO IN AND FINISH THAT NEXT PHASE OF THAT.

UM, IT'S GONNA TAKE A MINUTE.

ARMY CORPS ENGINEERS TAKES THEIR SWEET TIME, BUT WE HOPEFULLY HAVE THAT DONE BY JANUARY OF 27.

UM, SO BEAR WITH US AND WE'RE GETTING A LOT OF STUFF KNOCKED OUT.

UM, WE'VE GOT A, A VERY SMALL STAFF THAT WORKS VERY HARD KEEPING TRACK OF THESE PROJECTS.

SO, UM, IF YOU GET A CHANCE, RIDE OUT AND, AND LOOK AT SOME OF THESE THINGS, IT'S, IT'S QUITE IMPRESSIVE WHAT'S GOING ON.

ONE, ONE MORE QUESTION.

UM, I SEE MISS CAROLINE IN THE BACK.

SHE'S GOING TO KNOW, ANSWER TO THIS QUESTION WHERE, WHERE DO WE STAND ON, UM, THE ARCHIVES GET GETTING MOVED AND SET BACK UP.

SO WE HAD ARRANGEMENTS WITH, UM, I WANTED TO, TO GET A GOOD QUALIFIED ARCHIVIST, UM, TO COME IN AND HELP GUIDE US THROUGH THAT PROCESS OF MOVING THAT STUFF OVER.

AND THAT PERSON HAS BECOME DEATHLY ILL.

UM, SO I'VE REACHED OUT TO ANOTHER PERSON WHO IS OVER IN, UH, I THINK IT'S DARLINGTON COUNTY AND TRYING TO GET THEIR ASSISTANCE AND COMING OVER AND GUIDING US THROUGH PACKING THAT STUFF UP.

UM, WE'VE CONTACTED A SCANNING COMPANY AND WE, I'VE HAD TOM AND FACILITIES GO OVER AND HE'S TAKEN SOME MEASUREMENTS AND SOME PICTURES.

UM, THAT'S STEP ONE AND STEP TWO WE'LL GET THAT INFORMATION BACK TO THEM, GET SOME PRICING, UM, AND THEN GET THE ARCHIVIST TO COME IN, HELP US PACK ALL THAT STUFF UP.

WE'LL SEND IT TO THIS COMPANY THAT SPECIALIZES IN SCANNING THESE HISTORICAL DOCUMENTS.

THAT WAY WE CAN GET 'EM SCANNED IN AND PUT 'EM OUT ON THE WEBSITE AND HAVE THEM AVAILABLE TO THE PUBLIC ANYWHERE.

UM, YOU KNOW, THEY'LL BE OUT ON THEIR WEBSITE AND PEOPLE CAN, CAN ACTUALLY UTILIZE ALL THOSE DOCUMENTS.

UM, SO WE'RE, WE'RE SORT OF IN A STATE OF FLUX RIGHT NOW OF GETTING THAT STUFF MOVED.

UM, BUT AS IF WE CAN GET THE NEXT STEP DONE, I'M, I'M, I'M READY TO GET ITCHING TO GET STARTED ON GETTING THOSE, GETTING THOSE ITEMS MOVED.

UM, SINCE YOU BROUGHT THAT UP, MR. CHAIRMAN, UH,

[02:30:01]

AN IDEA HAS BEEN FLOATED TO ME AND I'D LIKE TO GET COUNCIL'S INPUT ON IT.

A LOT OF THE ITEMS AND ARCHIVES, I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT DOCUMENTS, BUT SOME OF THE HISTORICAL MEMORABILIA ITEMS. I MEAN, THERE'S, THERE'S AN INCREDIBLE WEALTH OF, OF TANGIBLE GOOD TANGIBLE ITEMS AT THE ARCHIVES.

UM, THE INITIAL IDEA, AND I STILL THINK IT'S A GOOD IDEA, MOVE IT ALL OVER TO THE MANNING TIMES.

THEY'RE GONNA OPEN IT TO THE PUBLIC.

IT'LL BE AVAILABLE SEVERAL DAYS A WEEK.

BUT A LOT OF THOSE THINGS, THEY'RE, THEY'RE ALREADY IN CASES OUR BUILDING SEES MORE VISITORS EVERY DAY THAN ANY OTHER BUILDING IN THE COUNTY.

WOULD IT BE ACCEPTABLE TO COUNCIL TO TAKE SOME OR A GOOD PORTION OF THOSE DISPLAY ITEMS AND PUT 'EM IN THIS BUILDING SO THAT THE, THE PUBLIC WHO COMES IN TO PAY THEIR TAXES OR GET A BUILDING PERMIT OR GO TO THE, THE AUDITOR'S OFFICE OR THE ASSESSOR'S OFFICE, THEY CAN COME IN AND VIEW AND ENJOY THOSE ITEMS IN THIS BUILDING.

AND I THINK THEY'D BE MORE WELL SEEN THAN IF THEY WERE HOUSED AT DEMANDING TIMES OR THE ARCHIVES BUILDING.

THAT'S A GOOD IDEA.

ALREADY KIND OF HAD THAT DISCUSSION, BUT YEAH.

IT'LL PROBABLY GENERATE MORE PEOPLE WANNA GO TO I, I, I THINK SO TOO.

AND I KIND OF SHOWCASE OUR COUNTY A LITTLE BIT MORE, UM, BECAUSE I MEAN, NOT ONLY IS IT FOLKS WITHIN OUR COUNTY, BUT WE HAVE A LOT OF VISITORS FROM OUTSIDE OF THE COUNTY THAT COMES IN OUR BUILDING TOO.

I LIKE, I DON'T SEE ANY PROBLEM WITH THAT, BUT I WOULD LIKE TO GET, UH, SOMEBODY, SOMEBODY FROM THIS.

SO FROM ARCHIVES, FROM THE, SOME FEEDBACK BEFORE WE DO IT.

MS. CARROLL, EXCUSE ME.

IF I, IF WE CAN GET SOME FEEDBACK BEFORE WE DO THAT FROM Y'ALL, I'D GREATLY APPRECIATE IT.

I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHERE YOU'RE SAYING PUT STUFF.

JUST HANGING IT OUT IN THE HALLWAY.

PUT IT IN.

WELL, WELL THERE'S STUFF THAT'S IN DISPLAY CASES.

WE COULD DISPLAY IT OUT IN EITHER THE MAIN HALLWAYS OR WHERE THE PUBLIC CAN HAVE ACCESS TO IT.

OPEN ON THE WEEKEND.

WE HAVE VISITORS COMING.

WELL, THE ARCHIVES NOT OPEN, UH, EITHER.

SO IT'S ALSO BY APPOINTMENT.

MAKE AN APPOINTMENT AND COME HERE AND SEE.

NO, NO MA'AM.

WE, WE WOULDN'T BE ABLE TO DO, TO ACCOMPLISH.

THAT'S OPEN.

MS. CHAIRMAN, DO WE NEED TO GO DOWN THAT ROUTE? NO.