Category: Government

Candidates for the District 41 seat in the S.C. House of Representatives came together Oct. 11 for a question-and-answer session at the Christ Central Community Center on Congress Street in Winnsboro. The forum, sponsored by the Fairfield County Republican Party and moderated by The Voice, gave the floor to candidates MaryGail Douglas (D) and William Gray (R), and covered education, ethics and campaign finance reform, economic development and other topics.

While the candidates’ views differed slightly on many topics, their views on recent efforts at the State House to redistribute V.C. Summer tax dollars were virtually identical.

The question:

Several bills have been floating around in committees at the State House recently, all of them aimed, in one way or another, at funneling V.C. Summer tax dollars out of Fairfield County and redistributing those dollars to counties across the state. What are your views on these bills, and how would you either support them, oppose them, or try to soften them in some way?

In his answer, Gray addressed the proposal by the S.C. School Boards Association to redistribute industrial property taxes in an effort to provide equitable education funding. That idea, he said, has no chance of gaining any traction.

Addressing the broader concept – a pair of bills that have been co-sponsored by legislators out of Aiken County, but which did not make it out of committee in the last legislative session (bills designed to redistribute property tax dollars from utilities for general use by other counties) – Douglas said she would work to ensure those bills never made it to the House floor.

The candidates also expressed similar views on economic development.

The question:

What is the role of our State House representative in bringing jobs to Fairfield County, and how do you plan to be active in that role?

Douglas said she planned to spend so much time at the State Chamber of Commerce, they may get the idea she was a volunteer for the organization. Gray said there existed barriers to economic development at the state level, particularly between the executive and legislative branch.

“I have been told that the governor is very interested in rural economic development,” Gray said. “She said to me that she can’t get any cooperation from our current legislative delegation.”

While the candidates again agreed largely on making a bipartisan effort to address the state’s issues in Columbia, their view on ethics reforms differed somewhat.

Douglas said the best approach to enacting real ethics reforms in South Carolina may be to totally re-write our state’s political ethics laws, starting from scratch with real reforms. Gray, meanwhile, said ethics could not be legislated, any more than morality could be legislated. If a politician can be bought for a few thousand dollars, he said, the problem is not the money – it is the caliber of the candidate.

Gray had similar views on the topic of campaign finance reforms.

The question: Some believe that the political process has been co-opted by corporate interests and big money, and that if private money could be taken out of the election process, the electorate might be more fairly represented. What are your views on legislating private money out of political campaigns in South Carolina and providing for the public financing of all elections in the state?

While Douglas said she had not given the concept consideration, it was worth thinking about. Such an issue, she said, might best be left up to the voters in a referendum.

“If the general public is interested enough and they cry out enough that the private money is too big of a hook out there,” she said, “then this is something that could be put to a referendum.”

Gray, meanwhile, said telling individuals they could not contribute to campaigns was un-American and unconstitutional.

“We live in the United States of America, which is a free country,” Gray said. “I think it is every citizens’ right to participate in whatever form or fashion. To curtail any citizen’s right to participate, that is wrong. We have a capitalistic system that is based on an individual’s ability to rise as high as they can. The money is not the problem. It is the people who get the money and feel they are beholden to whoever.”

In their closing statements, both candidates stressed the need for economic development in the district, and the growth Fairfield County is destined to feel as a part of the newly drawn District 41.

“I’m concerned about education and I’m concerned about job development,” Gray said. “But something happened during redistricting when they re-drew Fairfield County and added Lake Carolina and Kelly Mill.”

School choice, Gray said, should it become a reality, could mean growth for Fairfield County, as parents living in Fairfield would be able to send their children to schools in the Lake Carolina and Kelly Mill areas.

“Whoever fills this seat will have a lot of work to do, and not just for Fairfield County,” Douglas said. “When I see these other areas that have prospered, it saddens me to see what we have settled for here in Fairfield County. We want more of what Lake Carolina has. We have been asleep at the wheel.”

The general election is Nov. 6. The Voice will present a profile of candidates in our Oct. 26 and Nov. 2 issues.

Winnsboro Town Council devoted the majority of Monday night’s 2-hour work session to debate over adoption of the International Property Maintenance Code (IPMC). In 2009 Fairfield County adopted sections of the IPMC, but as council and Mayor Roger Gaddy reviewed and read further into the IPMC, they realized that their existing codes were very similar.

“I don’t see that we need to approve a whole new book of ordinances,” Gaddy said. “I think we need to enforce what we already have.”

With the similarities already in place, council members then considered hiring a code enforcement officer to enforce current codes and ordinances.

“We’ve got to hire someone who is passionate, level headed, but firm,” Gaddy said. “That somebody needs to have the patience and is willingness to sit down and explain the ordinances.”

After considerable discussion, Councilman Bill Haslett called for a motion to hire a code enforcement officer, which was seconded by Clyde Sander and was so approved.

In new business, Billy Castle presented the council with a revised edition of the new zoning ordinances for the town. For all intents and purposes, the new zoning ordinances have been approved, but will need to pass through two separate readings, with the first to take place at Tuesday’s town council meeting. For all the time and hard work put into the zoning ordinances by Castle and his committee, councilman Haslett made a motion to provide an award and certificate ceremony. The motion was approved and the ceremony will be held once the zoning ordinances have gone through their official readings.

Council also discussed a new ordinance to prevent the dumping of grease and oil into the sewer system. Council noted that they had, on two separate occasions, been written up by the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) and have been advised to come up with some type of grease and oil ordinance. Due to years of build-up and the storms this summer, there was a large amount of grease, oil, sludge and fatty substances that had washed into the sewer lines, causing drainage to slow. A new ordinance would call for grease traps and would help prevent a build-up in the next 20-25 years.

Finally, council agreed to hold a ribbon-cutting ceremony for the new annex building on Oct. 21 at 3 p.m.

Fairfield County Council voted unanimously Monday night to join the proposed Fairfield regional water authority charter committee, at a cost of $5,000. Fairfield County joins the towns of Winnsboro, Blythewood and Ridgeway in their commitment to the water authority. Mid-County Water has expressed interest in joining as well, but has yet to make it official. The Jenkinsville Water Company has expressed no interest in joining the water authority, while the Mitford Water Company is bound by contract to Chester County for the next several decades.

The deadline for prospective members to submit their entry fee is Sept. 30. A water authority would allow members to share the costs of upkeep, upgrade and expansion of the current water system, and would give members first dibs on service.

Council also voted to curtail their meetings with the Fairfield memorial Hospital Board of Trustees to twice a year, beginning with the first meeting in January.

On Oct. 1, a large contingent of LongCreek Plantation residents are expected to converge on the County Planning Commission to protest three issues.

They say they will ask the Planning Commission to vote against the rezoning of a 10-acre parcel from RURAL density to RS MD (residential medium density.)

Resident and attorney Sam Brick will also be on hand to appeal an application of the green code that he says is misapplied to a LongCreek Plantation development.

And residents will be speaking out against revisions the County wants to make to its Green Code.

The meeting is at 1 p.m. at the County building at 2020 Harding St.

Almost no progress has been made toward acquiring additional ball fields to accommodate the Blythewood Baseball League (BBL) and the Blythewood Recreation Center’s five new girls’ softball teams, according to Bob Mangone, chairman of the town’s baseball field committee. Mangone was appointed last spring by Mayor J. Michael Ross to chair the committee charged with identifying potential additional fields.

There are only three ball fields in Blythewood and they are owned by the Richland County Recreation Commission. Mangone wants to find four more. He said he is trying to find the owners of a 1-acre lot adjacent to the current ball fields. Mangone said that lot would provide one field, but after three months, he hasn’t been able to find out who owns the lot and whether they would sell it. Last summer he suggested the council might ‘take’ the property through eminent domain.

In August, Mangone said he was also looking at 8 acres behind Bethel-Hanberry Elementary School that is owned by Richland School District 2, but this week said that he has not had a chance to ask the school about using that acreage.

James Brown, Executive Director of the Richland County Recreation Commission, which owns Blythewood Rec Center, said the Commission plans to ask the School District to allow the girls’ softball teams to play there next spring.

An agreement was reached for the softball and baseball teams to share the three Rec Center fields during Fall Ball.

With 15 BBL teams playing Fall Ball, and only five softball teams, that works, but in the spring there will be 35-40 BBL teams and more softball teams. Mangone said something will have to be worked out before then if everyone is going to have a field to play on.

While Mangone had promised a public forum on the issue in both August and September, he said the forum is now on hold.

Bill Trapp, president of the BBL did not return calls from The Voice, and Jeff Brown, who organized the girls’ softball league at the Blythewood Rec Center and has recently been promoted to Program Director over all the County Rec Centers, was also unavailable for comment.

Town Council passed the first of two readings to change the town’s election date to make it a more uniform date to coincide with other elections in Richland County.

Under the proposed ordinance, the town’s regular elections for the offices of mayor and council will be held in odd numbered years on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.

Town attorney Jim Meggs explained that this might or might not be the first Tuesday of the month.

If the ordinance passes second reading it will become effective upon preclearance by the Department of Justice, Voting Rights Division.

In other business, Council approved a verbal resolution for the transfer of the development agreement for the Abney Hills development from its former owner, Mike Shelley to Security Federal Bank in Irmo who now owns the property as part of a fee in lieu of foreclosure and plans to act as developer to finish the buildout.

The verbal resolution also approves a resetting of the buildout dates from 2013 to 2016.

Council also passed second reading to amend the town’s Hospitality Tax ordinance. Changes included giving business owners 10 days instead of a 24-hour notice to prepare for an audit or inspection.

The ordinance also provided that if a business changed ownership and the previous owner was delinquent in paying Hospitality Tax, the new owner would be responsible for paying the unpaid balance.

Council also passed first reading on an administrative ordinance that would establish new commercial zoning district regulations in the Town.

An executive session was on the agenda to discuss proposed contractual arrangements and proposed sale or purchase of property; however, the session was cancelled.

Town administrator John Perry announced that Council would probably hold one or two workshops during October to discuss the new commercial zoning amendments. Those dates will be announced later.

In a unanimous vote at their regular meeting on Monday night, Town Council members voted to re-seat six current board and commission members whose terms have expired. Town Hall did not openly solicit for applications for the seats prior to the vote as required by town law.

This is the second time in two months that Council has broken the town’s statute governing appointments to the planning commission.

When asked in an email why Council had violated its own rules concerning the reappointments, Mayor J. Michael Ross replied, “Would we ask someone to step down and reappoint someone new? We contacted all of these that had served. (I think that is soliciting), and they asked to be reappointed. It is very hard to find interested people to serve. I have passed this [your email] on to our town attorney and John Perry [Town Administrator].”

Aside from public scrutiny or someone bringing a legal action against Council for violating the town’s statute, there is no mechanism in place to force Council to abide by the town’s rules.

According to the statute, Title XV, Chapter 150.02:

(B) Open solicitation of Commission members shall begin no less than 30 days prior to the Town Council meeting during which an appointment, or appointments, are to be made.

(D) A vacancy may be filled at any Council meeting providing that open solicitation began no less than 30 days prior to the Council meeting during which an appointment, or appointments, are to be made.

The following town board members were re-seated by Council at Monday’s meeting: Mike Switzer and Marcus Taylor (Planning Commission), Cindy Nord and Bob Mangone (Board of Architectural Review), Tom Utroska and Sabra Mazyck (Board of Zoning Appeals.)

Each member serves three-year staggered terms.

At Tuesday night’s Winnsboro Town Council meeting, Joey Phrommer, representing Land Tech Inc., presented the council with a request to be placed on the agenda at the next Water Advisory Committee.  Land Tech Inc. is interested in purchasing and developing a 60-acre tract of land to develop a residential sub-division.  The lot is located on Langford Road in Richland County.  Land Tech intends to build approximately 100 lots in four phases of 25 lots apiece, and would seek water service from the Town of Winnsboro.

Mayor Roger Gaddy voiced concern about supplying the water with Winnsboro already in state of water restriction.  Phrommer attempted to compromise with the Mayor by offering an alternative solution.

“We can accept permits in several phases,” Phrommer said.

The council has yet to accept or deny Land Tech’s request.  Council will vote at a later date after Land Tech has been approved by the Water Advisory Committee, which meets twice a month.

In new business, the council officially swore in three new judges: Vanessa Hollins (Chief Judge), Jonathan Goode (Municipal Court Judge) and Trey Spong (Judge).

In addition, a capital expense request by Jesse Douglas, Director of Gas, Water and Sewer, was approved.  Douglas requested $4,812 for parts to the lift station duplex pumps and $6,175 for a new “Weil” brand pump, totaling $10,987.

The grand opening ceremonies for the Town’s new annex building has yet to be set, but the offices will be officially opened for business on Monday.

“The new annex is where citizens will pay their utility bills using a convenient drive-through,” Gaddy said.

Hours will remain the same as the Town Hall (Monday-Friday 8 a.m.-5 p.m.); however, Town Council will continue to hold their meetings at Town Hall.

The Town of Ridgeway became the third official charter member of the proposed Fairfield County regional water authority Thursday night, as their town council voted unanimously to pony up the $5,000 fee to sit on the organizational committee. The vote came after an executive session during council’s regularly scheduled meeting at Town Hall. Last week, following a work session on the water authority hosted by County Council, Ridgeway Mayor Charlene Herring said the town would have to dig into its savings account to cover the entry fee.

Ridgeway joins the towns of Blythewood and Winnsboro on the list of those who have committed, monetarily, to joining the water authority’s charter committee. With $5,000 paid in by each entity, John Fantry said the water authority has met its $15,000 minimum capital requirement. Fantry is special counsel to the Town of Winnsboro on utility matters.

“Winnsboro is delighted,” Fantry said. “We have reached our threshold and now, this body, when it comes together, will have the resources to get the work done. We have reached our minimum, although we still have some out on the edges.”

Those still ‘out on the edges’ are Mid-County Water and Fairfield County. County Councilman Dwayne Perry, who represents the Ridgeway community in District 1, was at Thursday’s meeting and told town council that the County has been focused almost entirely on the water issue.

“I still think there’s a lot of information that I need to have, but I do think that we need to continue to move forward, because really it’s going to drive economic development – or not, if we don’t get water,” Perry said. “It’s all about water.

“We have until the 30th of the month to make that $5,000 donation,” Perry said. “I’m sure the County will probably make it just to stay involved with this water authority process. That’s just my feeling. We’ll vote on that.”

Mid-County, while verbally committed to being at the table, has not submitted its $5,000 contribution to the water authority, according to Herb Rentz, who heads the water company. One hurdle Mid-County will have to overcome is a transition from their current status as a 501(c)(4), not-for-profit, organization to a special purpose district. Doing so would make them a political subdivision, something attorney Margaret Pope said at the Sept. 5 county work session would be necessary for Mid-County to join a water authority.

“That has been done by a number of entities like us,” Rentz said of the conversion. “I have been calling a lot of those entities and I haven’t received any negative comments. They experienced no significant rate increases.”

Rentz said Mid-County plans on sending their money in by the Sept. 30 deadline. Fairfield County Administrator Phil Hinely said County Council planned to have the item on the Sept. 24 agenda.

Fantry said that even though the water authority has met its minimum requirements to move to the next stage of organization, there was still a place at the table for late-comers.

“The door is open,” Fantry said. “But at some point, we’re going to start doing some work.”