Category: News

New Administrator Has Record of Uniting County, Town

WINNSBORO (June 2, 2016) – When County Council officially voted last week on their new County Administrator, they selected Jason C. Taylor from a list of five candidates from across the state.

Taylor has been the Town Administrator for Ridgeland since 2002, where he has overseen a staff of 52 employees and a budget of $8 million. During his tenure, Taylor told The Voice last week, he has worked closely with the Jasper County government – a spirit of unity he said he hopes to bring with him to Fairfield County, which has a history of divisiveness between County and municipality.

“It was the same way here for a long time, too,” Taylor said. “It’s just a matter of reaching out and finding common goals and knowing what is good for Winnsboro is also good for the County.

“I’ve worked closely with Jasper County,” Taylor said. “We have a great group of elected officials at the County and the Town, and they’ve all been great. We’ve worked hand-in-hand with our County.”

Taylor’s resume, obtained by The Voice from the County through a Freedom of Information Act request, includes a long list of accomplishments over his 14 years in Ridgeland, not the least of which is partnering with Jasper County for the renovation of the 15,000-square-foot Jasper County Farmers Market building, the renovation of Town Hall and the construction of Tuten Park. The latter, a walking trail project, won the 2010 Municipal Association Award for Economic Development.

Taylor, who earned his Master’s Degree in Public Administration from the University of South Carolina, served as the Executive Director of the Saluda County Economic Development and Planning Office from 1998-2002, and worked for the Lexington County Department of Social Services from 1990 – 1998.

Taylor and his family have lived in Beaufort for the last 14 years, but he is originally from the Lexington area and his parents still live in the Prosperity area.

“It will be like coming home,” Taylor said.

According to additional documents obtained by The Voice through a Freedom of Information Act request, Taylor was picked over the current Director of Administrative Services and Special Assistant to the Mayor for the Town of Summerville, the Darlington County Administrator, Darlington’s City Manager and the Assistant to the County Administrator of Greenville County.

“We had an interesting group – on paper,” County Council Chairwoman Carolyn Robinson said. “He (Taylor) did an excellent job with his interview.”

Taylor singed a three-year deal with Fairfield County worth $120,000 a year. He begins his term on June 6.

District 3 up for Grabs in November

WINNSBORO (June 2, 2016) – Walter Larry Stewart, who successfully appealed the November 2014 election results and unseated incumbent Mikel Trapp in a new election in March 2015, has officially resigned his District 3 County Council seat.

In a letter dated May 24, Stewart informed the Fairfield County Board of Elections that he was resigning effective June 30. Stewart cited an unspecified health issue as the reason for his resignation.

Stewart in his letter said he would “continue to serve until an election is called or someone is designated to fill the position.” Debbie Stidham, Director of Fairfield County Elections and Voter Registration, said that since Stewart’s resignation was less than 180 days before the Nov. 8 general election, no special election would be called. Instead, she said, the District 3 County Council seat would be included on the ballot this November.

Stidham said she forwarded Stewart’s resignation to Gov. Nikki Haley’s office, which has the option to appoint someone to serve District 3 until a newly elected member can be sworn in in January. There was no word at press time if such an appointment would be made.

Candidates interested in filling the two years remaining on Stewart’s term must file by petition by July 15 at the Voter Registration and Elections Office at 315 S. Congress St., Winnsboro.

Trapp edged out Stewart 489-484 in the November 2014 race, with the less than 1 percent margin triggering an automatic recount. The recount the following Friday unearthed one additional vote for Stewart and enough irregularities for Stewart to file an official protest of the results.

Debra Matthews, a Winnsboro attorney who represented the Stewart campaign in 2014, said after the recount that some absentee ballots did not conform to the state statute and three voters were given the incorrect ballot style at their polling place.

Stewart’s camp prevailed in the protest hearing before the Fairfield County Election Commission, which ordered a new election. Trapp filed an appeal with the State Election Commission, which upheld the County Commission’s decision in a hearing in early December 2014.

Gov. Haley set the new election date for March 3, 2015, at which time Stewart handily dispatched Trapp 429-380.

Efforts to reach Stewart for comment before press time were unsuccessful. Trapp, meanwhile, told The Voice that he had “no interest” at this time in running for his old seat again.

WINNSBORO (May 26, 2016) – Town Council on May 17 passed first reading on their 2016-2017 general fund and utilities budgets, both of which grew by more than $1 million.

The general fund weighs in at $5,539,335 for the coming fiscal year, up from $4,284,921 last year. The utilities budget for 2016-2017 comes in at $16,806,976, up from $15,534,364 last year. The utilities budget also includes an increase of 1.4 percent, or .065 cents, in the wholesale water rate. Effective July 1, wholesale water sold to the Town of Ridgeway and Mid-County Water will go for $4.683 per 1,000 gallons.

The general fund budget also includes a 2.3 percent cost of living pay increase for Town employees, Council said during their May 10 work session. And, as Council ponders the fate of the Mt. Zion Institute school buildings, they have budgeted an additional $200,000 on top of the $100,000 already in the pipeline for the potential demolition of the structure.

Council had to cope with approximately $200,000 less in Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) funds after the closing in January of Walmart, the fund’s largest contributor. However, Town Manager Don Wood said during the May 10 work session that the Town’s remaining share of the fund was still greater than their millage rate and property owners would still receive tax relief.

The Town’s millage rate of 38.46, Wood said, amounts to approximately $331,000, while the Town’s share of the LOST fund is around $351,000.

Expenditures

Expenditures for Council’s 2016-2017 budget are down slightly from last year to $231,730 from $237,918. The Town Manager’s budget edged up to $315,463 from $309,224. Vehicle repair (up $150), equipment service contracts (up $1,000) and professional services (up $5,850) account for the largest shifts in the Town manager’s budget.

Municipal Court expenditures are up slightly to $156,666 from $152,950, while expenditures for the Municipal Building rose to $33,981 from $32,100. Maintenance Shop expenditures fell from $95,041 last year to $73,632 in the coming fiscal year, while the budget for the swimming pool is also down somewhat from $44,108 to $44,077.

Public Safety expenditures are up somewhat to $1,597,730 from $1,586,710, while Streets and Sanitation expenditures are down to $622,885 from $672,165. Building, Zoning and Planning expenditures are also down to $73,920 from $82,140.

Utilities

Natural gas revenues are projected to rise in the coming fiscal year from $4,395,849 to $4,505,901, while revenues from the sale of electricity are projected to rise from $6,950,947 to $7,248,092.

Water revenues are also expected to rise from $2,986,922 to $3,726,922. Sewer revenues are also on the rise, from $1,200,646 to $1,326,061.

Natural gas expenditures are down in 2016-2017, from $3,905,220 to $3,470,762. Expenditures for the Electric Department are also down, from $6,653,483 to $6,623,857. Water expenditures are on the uptick, from $2,110,327 to $2,382,196.

Expenditures at the water plant are up from $744,759 to $773,864, while sewer expenditures are up from $656,663 to $705,352. Total sewer plant expenditures are up from $505,551 to $584,447.

Council will hold second reading at their June 7 meeting.

BLYTHEWOOD (May 26, 2016) –  Confusion about whether an abstention counts as a “yes” in a tie vote meant that an expelled student’s fate was left dangling until the very end of the Fairfield County School Board of Trustees meeting on Tuesday night.
Expulsion proceedings were initiated against two of three students involved in a fight on the school campus March 7. The expulsions were later upheld by the District Hearing Officer David Corley. Parents of one of those students subsequently requested an appeal hearing before the Board Tuesday night. During the meeting Superintendent Dr. J. R. Green made a recommendation that the Board deny the request for an appeal.
“The recommended action is that the Board accept the superintendent’s recommendation and not hear that appeal,” Chairwoman Beth Reid (District 7) told the Board, asking for a motion. Board Vice Chair Rev. Carl Jackson, Jr., (District 5) put forward the motion, which, after a long silence, was seconded by Henry Miller (District 3).
Reid immediately called for a vote without any discussion since this was a student issue. After the 3-3-1 vote, Board member Annie McDaniel (District 4) asked that Reid call the vote again.
“The vote was three for the superintendent’s recommendation, three opposed and one abstention,” Reid said.
Approving the recommendation were Reid, Jackson, and Miller; opposed were Board members William Frick (District 6), Paula Hartman (District 2) and McDaniel. Sylvia Harrison (District 1) abstained.
“So the Board will not hear the appeal of the student,” Reid concluded.
What happens when it is 3, 3, and 1?” Hartman asked.
Reid responded that abstentions count as a ‘yes’ according to Roberts Rules of Order.
“That’s not accurate,” McDaniel objected. “Not for purposes of carrying the order.”
Reid repeated that abstentions count

“