Blythewood Online 691

Category: News

  • Water Company Gets Favorable Well Report

    The Jenkinsville Water Company Board of Trustees received a favorable well production report from board president Gregrey Ginyard during their monthly meeting Monday evening.

    The monthly water needed to supplement the company’s own wells to supply its customers comes from Mid-County Water, which in turn, is supplied by the Town of Winnsboro’s water system. For the monthly reporting period of April 16 to May 15, only 308,000 gallons were purchased from Mid-County. The average gallon purchase for the first four months of 2012 was 1,560,750.

    “These wells are really doing great, ya’ll,” Ginyard said. “Right now we don’t have any problems.”

    Jenkinsville’s six wells yielded 3,985,760 gallons during the current reporting period. Ginyard said one of their main wells could produce more water, by the system is limited by a small, 6-inch water line.

    Ginyard said that Mid-County Water passed on a rate increase of 10 cents per 1,000 gallons and that water test lab fees had also increased. He said the Jenkinsville board had just received that information and had not yet discussed rate increases for its customers.

    During his president’s report, Ginyard said the local water companies of Mitford, Ridgeway, Winnsboro, Jenkinsville and Mid-County recently met with Fairfield County Council members at the Central Midlands Council of Governments.

    “The County Council asked us if there is a way to help solve the area’s drought problem,” said Ginyard. “It was a positive meeting, but nobody had any real solutions. Mitford said they aren’t having a problem with water. We actually are really in pretty good shape. Our engineers are still looking at a wastewater plant on the Broad River.”

    Ginyard also said 17 residents who live on Brooks Drive off Clark Bridge Road have signed a petition to have a water line put in and agreeing to be customers of the Jenkinsville Water Company.

    “Engineers are looking at a cost estimate and what we would need to do,” Ginyard said. “We can basically do it ourselves to cut costs. We have to go through the permitting process with DHEC. The residents have wells, but are starting to have problems with them.”

  • Sheriff, Clerk of Court Candidates Have Their Say

    Last week The Voice gave the floor to candidates for the District 41 State House candidates. This week, candidates for Sheriff and for Clerk of Court share their thoughts with our readers. The primary will be held June 12, with a runoff on June 19 if necessary.

    On June 12, voters will select a Fairfield County Sheriff to serve a four-year term. The candidates are Will Montgomery, Eddie L. Big Ed White and incumbent Herman W. Young.

    Candidates for Fairfield County Clerk of Court, which is a four-year term, are incumbent Betty Jo Beckham and challenger Dorothy Boyd Belton.

    The Independent Voice of Fairfield County contacted the candidates and asked each to respond to a short questionnaire, which was based on the office being sought.

    Fairfield County Sheriff

    What is your current place of employment?

    Will Montgomery – I work for Richland County Sheriff Department as a Senior Corporal. I went to work for Sheriff Lott in 2002 after receiving a degree in criminal justice from the University of S.C.

    Eddie L. “Big Ed” White – I am currently a Shift Supervisor at the Winnsboro Department of Public Safety.

    Herman W. Young – Sheriff of Fairfield County.

    What do you believe is the role of the County Sheriff?

    Montgomery – It is the Sheriff’s responsibility to work for each and every resident of Fairfield County; provide equality in law enforcement, protection, safety and availability. It is his duty to be a person with leadership qualities that will make his department the best it can be.

    White – There are several roles for being a County Sheriff, but one of the most important is ensuring the safety of all of the citizens. I feel strongly that the Sheriff should be made accessible to the people and the communication lines should remain open. The Sheriff has the role of providing professional law enforcement and a law enforcement agency that conducts business fairly with integrity. I will require my deputies to conduct themselves professionally at all times.

    Young – The role of The Fairfield County Sheriff is to oversee and ensure that the laws and ordinances of the state and county are enforced. The Sheriff is the highest law enforcement officer of the county. The Sheriff is responsible for upholding all aspects of the law. He is not just a public figure who is allowed to carry a gun and badge, but a representative who enforces the law as well as practices it.

    What do you believe is the main priority for the Sheriff Office staff currently?

    Montgomery – Every law enforcement office main priority should be to protect and serve all citizens throughout the county.

    White – I cannot answer for or speak for the current administration. One of the main priorities under my administration staff will be to keep our citizens informed and protected. I believe if we all work together, increase deputy’s visibility, update the Sheriff’s office with the latest crime fighting tools, and put more deputies on the road we can make a positive difference.

    Young – I feel that the main priority for the sheriff’s office staff is to continue to provide the best law enforcement services to the community. I believe my staff is doing an excellent job keeping major crimes in Fairfield County at a minimum. We stay involved with the community and work diligently to keep our citizens safe.

    What changes will you implement in the upcoming term?

    Montgomery – Restructure the deputy positions for more visibility and communication with the citizens in the neighborhoods, implement programs to ensure involvement in the community with the youth, adults, and senior citizens, have a stronger working relationship with surrounding agencies, education and Training Programs for employees and recognize them for good performance, complaints against the department will be investigated and acted upon in a timely manner and implement a check and balance system in all areas of the department.

    White – I will put the deputies in the communities and create more of a pro-active agency, and when we do have to react I will cut down on response times. I plan to add a telephone system to help keep citizens informed. I think much of our success will depend on the Sheriff’s Department working closely with our citizens. I will keep the communication lines open and I will make my self available to all citizens. I will install senior citizens programs and take an active role in ensuring their safety.  I will add a Search and Rescue Unit equipped with a Mounted Horse Patrol Team, as well as a combination Road & Boat Patrol resident deputy on Lake Wateree.

    Young – I would like to add a traffic unit. With the future increase in traffic flow expected due to SCE&G adding two nuclear reactors, I believe Fairfield County will see an increase in population. Plans have already been discussed with county officials about future needs.

    What is the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office doing right?

    Montgomery –Fairfield county Sheriff’s Department has a wealth of resource including manpower that can be utilized to make Fairfield County Sheriff’s Dept. the best in South Carolina.

    White – One thing is they do employ some good law enforcement officers that care about Fairfield County. I would ask many of these deputies’ to continue serving once I am elected.

    Young – We strive to do the best job that we can. Because of budget constraints we are not always able to obtain everything we would like to have. However, through our allowed budget and grants, we are able to have the equipment that we need to operate efficiently. Not only are we out patrolling 24 hours a day and enforcing the laws and protecting the community, we are checking on our elderly citizens through our home alone program; we conduct our annual week- long kids camp through donations and volunteers. We help with projects at local nursing homes; we are involved with neighborhoods setting up crime watch groups. We have School Resource officers and DARE instructors in the schools. We conduct security checks on citizen’s property and businesses. Working together with the citizens and staying involved with the community keeps crime in Fairfield County at a minimum. As your Sheriff, I can assure you this trend will continue.

    Fairfield County Clerk of Court

    What is your current place of employment?

    Betty Jo Beckham – I am the current Clerk of Court and Register of Deeds for Fairfield County. This office is located in the basement of the Courthouse.

    Dorothy Boyd Belton did not return the questionnaire.

    What do you believe is the role of the Clerk of Court?

    Beckham – To correctly record, maintain and preserve all land, civil, criminal, family court records and any liens and judgments that would affect a person’s credit report. Being able to render these records available for the public and assist with inquires concerning these records. To assist all judges and attorneys in our judicial circuit by preparing court rosters for jury and non-jury trials and sending roster notifications to attorneys in a timely manner. To notify jurors for each term of common pleas and general sessions court. We do have a call in system that allows jurors to go to work if they do not have to report for jury duty.

    What is your background, and how is it relevant to the Clerk of Court
    position?

    Beckham – My background is 34 years experience in the Clerk of Court/Register of Deeds Office and 11 years experience as Clerk of Court.

    Are there changes that should take place in the Clerk of Court office, and if so, what?

    Beckham – We are mandated by the S.C. Court Administration as to procedures in this office. We get updates from them on a regular basis. One thing I would like to update is getting our land records online. This is something that I am looking into. I would also like to have a tax intercept procedure for criminal fines and fees.

  • Judge Gives Solicitor 15 Days to Prosecute or Drop JWC Case

    The clock is now officially ticking on criminal proceedings against the individual members of the Jenkinsville Water Company Board of Directors for willful violation of the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. Monday morning, Judge Kirby D. Shealy, a Richland County Magistrate Court Judge assigned by the S.C. Supreme Court to hear the case, ruled that 6th Circuit Solicitor Doug Barfield had 15 days to begin prosecution of the case or the case would be dismissed.

    The ruling came after E. Crosby Lewis, attorney for the defendants, filed a motion to dismiss for failure to prosecute and for failure to comply with Rule 5 (disclosure).

    “A defendant is entitled the opportunity to confront the evidence against him,” Lewis told the court in reference to Rule 5.

    Lewis also noted that no representative from the Solicitor’s Office was present at Monday morning’s hearing, and that both the Solicitor’s Office and the S.C. State Attorney General’s Office had indicated to him that neither intended to prosecute the case.

    Jay Bender, an attorney speaking on behalf of the complainant (James Denton), said the Solicitor had told him otherwise.

    “Why didn’t you serve the Solicitor with a notice of this hearing?” Bender asked. “All of the evidence was turned over to the Solicitor and my last conversation with the Solicitor indicated that he would, although not enthusiastically, prosecute the case.”

    Lewis said the reason he did not serve the Solicitor notice was because the Solicitor had told him he would not prosecute.

    “The short answer is, if the Solicitor is not going to prosecute, that’s the end of the case,” Shealy said. “But we need a definitive answer on that.”

    Shealy then asked Lewis to prepare an order notifying the Solicitor of the 15-day deadline.

    Reached for comment Tuesday morning, Barfield said he had not yet received the order and that he had not agreed to prosecute the case.

    Courtesy summonses were served against the individual members of the JWC Board (Tangee Brice Jacobs, Tim Roseborough, Joseph McBride, Aquilla O’Neal, Lori Smith and Gregrey D. Ginyard) in November of 2011 after the Board refused to comply with numerous FOIA requests by Denton and Jill Cincotta while both were with The Herald Independent newspaper. The Board’s refusal to comply came after an opinion issued Aug. 8, 2011, from the S.C. Attorney General’s Office confirmed that the JWC Board was a public body and therefore subject to the S.C. Freedom of Information Act. Cincotta later provided each Board member with a copy of the S.C. FOIA and indicated to each member where the law applied to the JWC Board.

    Lewis told the court Monday that an attorney serving the JWC Board during that time told Board members that he did not agree with the Attorney General’s opinion, that the Jenkinsville Water Company was a private company and therefore not subject to the S.C. FOIA. The actions of his clients, Lewis said, were therefore not willful, as they were acting on advice from their attorney.

    The Public Service Commission, which regulates rates for private utility companies, told The Voice Monday that they do not regulate rates for the Jenkinsville Water Company, indicating that they are, in fact, public.

    “Although a misdemeanor, this is an important case to citizens across our state who can’t afford to sue to get public documents released,” said Bill Rogers, executive director of the S.C. Press Association, an advocate for open government.  “‘Let’s hope the solicitor steps up and addresses what we think is an obvious violation of the law.  You can’t violate the law because your attorney tells you it’s OK.”

  • School Board Tackles Possible Tax Increase

    Although at least one member of the Fairfield County School Board has gone on record against the possibility, the Board is currently looking at a 2012-2013 budget that could include a tax increase of 3 mills.

    The proposed budget for the 2012-2013 fiscal year is $33,068,140, a 0.5 percent increase over the 2011-2012 original operating general fund budget of $32,905,211.

    The original proposed budget presented by administration to the Board two weeks ago would have required no tax increase, but several changes suggested by the Board left them $114,000 shy of a balanced budget. The revised budget, presented last week, included a millage increase that more than made up the difference.

    The proposed tax increase would inject an additional $279,000 into the budget, leaving approximately $165,653 to be earmarked.

    “For the record, I am opposed to any tax increase at this point,” Board member Bobby Cunningham said during the May 29 meeting.

    Cunningham asked Kevin Robinson, Director of Finance, if the difference could be taken out of the District’s fund balance in order to avoid a tax increase. Robinson said he could not recommend such an action.

    Robinson later told The Voice that District policy requires a fund balance that is between 12 and 14 percent of the budget. Taking money out of that pool would not only require a policy change, but could also make it more difficult for the District to borrow money in the future.

    Dr. David Eubanks, interim superintendent, explained some of the line item changes by the Board that led to the need for a millage increase. Those changes included:

    $9,000 in software licensing fees for BoardDocs;

    $56,940 for student field trips;

    $107,707 in legal fees;

    $18,600 for five summer interns;

    $40,000 to open school libraries during the summer;

    $5,600 to implement the random drug testing policy for extracurricular activities; and

    $10,500 to contract with USC for an athletic trainer.

    One of the budget items discussed May 29 was the athletics budget, which includes $269,500 in stipends.

    “I don’t think we’re saying athletics is not valuable,” Andrea Harrison, Board Chairwoman, said, “but how many students do we have going to college on academic scholarships versus athletic scholarships? Given our present state of finances, what would be available to offer incentives for academics?”

    Robinson said the more than $165,000 left over from the proposed millage increase would be available.

    “Is our only viable option to increase millage?” Harrison asked.

    “It’s not the only option, but probably the most feasible,” Robinson said. “We don’t want to take money out of the fund balance.”

    Board member Danielle Miller said the athletic stipends were just that, and not salaries. For most of stipend recipients, this is the only money they receive all year for their efforts.

    “Is it possible to go back through this budget and squeeze wherever we need to squeeze?” Harrison asked. “I’m not by any means beating up on the athletic department, but it doesn’t make sense if I played football in high school, but when I graduated I couldn’t read.”

    Contrary to Robinson’s assessment of the fund balance, Eubanks suggested a one-time dip into the fund balance would not be such a bad idea.

    “One option you have is to balance the budget using cash,” Eubanks said. “Last year, you gave out bonuses using cash. If you busy up the budget with incentives, something else will have to go; the budget is that tight.”

    The Board voted 5-0 May 29 to accept the first reading of the budget.

    “We feel very positive about our budget,” Eubanks said this week. “Our approach was to bring a balanced budget to the Board and we will move forward as the Board deems appropriate.”

    A public hearing on the budget is scheduled for June 19 at 6 p.m. at the District Office.

  • Park Committee: What has $5.5 Million Done?

    The Park Review Committee met Tuesday evening at Blythewood Town hall in yet another attempt to reach a consensus on a recommendation to Town Council regarding what to do about the park construction left over by the last administration.

    During his first town council meeting after being sworn into office Jan. 30, Mayor J. Michael Ross appointed the six-member committee to come up with a recommendation for Town Council at the end of eight weeks (March 26.)

    Tom Utroska, the committee’s chair, has suggested in recent meetings that the committee has gone beyond what the mayor asked the committee to do.

    “I would suggest we do the job we were asked to do – nothing more, nothing less,” Utroska said Tuesday night.

    The agenda called for three questions to be discussed:

    1) Using only the $5.5 million in bond funding, is there a ‘smart’ alternative to the current construction plan?

    2) Are there changes to that plan that would make for a more usable, efficient Park?

    3) When the current contractual work is completed, what will the Town have as a Park?

    Town Councilman Paul Moscati, who serves as the liaison between the Town and contractors, listed at least some of the items that would and would not be included in the park if construction stopped at the $5.5 million mark.

    Included in the $5.5 million price tag, according to Moscati, would be:

    -Doko Manor completed;

    -Some site work in place ;

    -500 linear feet of sidewalk around the Doko Manor (but no other sidewalks);

    -Some landscaping around the Doko Manor;

    -Some drainage provisions for the formal gardens when they are built;

    -The first layer of asphalt on the roads;

    -2-acre lake;

    -Dock on the 2-acre lake;

    -Much of the underground work, including utilities;

    -Temporary grass; and

    -Some gutter work at the entrance.

    Moscati said the following items are not included in the $5.5 million:

    -Fountain in formal gardens;

    -A good bit of the landscaping and irrigation is not included;

    -Enclosures for dumpsters;

    -Arbor;

    -Rest rooms (could be traded for other items included in contract);

    -Ballard lighting for nature walk;

    -Clock tower;

    -Amphitheater;

    -Farmers market;

    -Gates and miscellaneous items at the entrance;

    -Second layer of asphalt on roads;

    -Permanent (competition field) grass; and

    -Sprayground;

    Moscati’s list was not final, but he told the committee that he would have more definitive information in writing at their next meeting on June 19.

    Moscati said there was some allowance money left in the construction contracts that could be combined with various trade-offs to fund such items as a concrete pad for the amphitheater or legs for the clock tower.

    “It was never intended that we stop [building the park] at $5.5 million,” Moscati told the panel. “We always planned to go forward with the park by using the proceeds from the Community Center. We knew $5.5 million would not build this park. To indicate or imply that we would have a park after spending $5.5 million is not accurate. We have a start of a park after $5.5 million.”

    Moscati said the total park had been estimated at $10.9 million and that that figure did not include the Depot or the Adventure Center.

    “We thought that the Town would not have to fund those two items,” he said. “That’s still on the table.”

    “I would like us to move forward,” Moscati told Utroska. “I don’t think we can stop after spending $5.5 million.

    Utroska said he wants to see the total of what is already included in the $5.5 million portion of the park before going forward with more spending plans.

    “We haven’t gotten the information about what we have gotten for the $5.5 million, but we keep talking about what we’re going to spend [on the park] in the future.

    The next meeting of the park committee will be at 6:30 p.m. at the Town Hall on June 19.

  • Deal to Bring Columbia Water to Blythewood Dodges Bullet

    The water hookup from the City of Columbia to the Town of Winnsboro water system has yet to begin, and another delay last week threatened to derail 10 months of negotiations between the two municipalities for months to come, a roadblock that could potentially have left Blythewood at the mercy of City of Columbia water rates.

    “We had a bump in the road on the engineering design,” John Fantry, special counsel to the Town of Winnsboro, said. “We had to go back and have words on that, and that put us a little behind on our hook-up date.”

    Fantry met with Blythewood Mayor Michael Ross and Town Administrator John Perry Monday afternoon to bring them up to date on issue, which Fantry said has been resolved. The project will move forward, Fantry said, once the amended agreement between Winnsboro and Columbia has been signed. Fantry said it was not clear if the adjusted agreement would require approval by Winnsboro Town Council.

    “We’ve had great cooperation from Mayor Ross and Mr. Perry,” Fantry said. “We may need a vote on the new letter, but as soon as it is signed, the City of Columbia is going ahead. Hopefully, there is nothing in this document that will put this thing astray.”

    In March, Winnsboro Town Council authorized Town Manager Don Wood to sign a Bulk Water Contract with the City of Columbia to temporally serve the Blythewood area with water. The agreement will allow Columbia to furnish water to Winnsboro water customers in Richland County, due to the drought conditions in Fairfield County, and the hookup between the entities was expected to take 60 to 90 days, as a new pumping station is needed, at the expense of the Town of Winnsboro. Winnsboro has been operating under an Extreme Drought Proclamation since February, and will continue to do so until water flows from a new Columbia connection, when a maximum 400,000 gallons per day of treated water is available to Winnsboro’s Richland County customers, mainly in the Blythewood community.

    “We were making progress with the water connection line,” said Wood. “Then we received notice from engineers for Columbia that the water pumping station had to be built to higher specifications. That would have cost us four times what was in the original contract and that DHEC had already approved.”

    “We didn’t want that setback,” Wood continued. “So I called and had some discussion with Columbia’s City Manager (Steve Gantt). He said he would sign the approval and get it in the mail. The hook up will still take 60 to 90 days.”

    Wood said a temporary pump will be used for the Columbia water connection. The rental pump will cost $6,980 for the first month, as that amount includes delivery, installation and disinfection. The cost after the first month is $4,400 per month.

    A water rate adjustment is being imposed on Winnsboro water customers due to the additional costs of water purchased from Columbia, diesel fuel costs, pump rental and legal/professional fees.

    At a special called Town Council meeting May 29, Council member Danny Miller made a motion that retail water rates be uniformly adjusted for the Town’s Fiscal Year 2012-2013 budget, so that both inside and outside town limit customers pay the same water rate increase of 22 percent. Council member Clyde Sanders seconded the motion. Mayor Roger Gaddy, Sanders and Miller voted to approve, Council member Jack Wilkes voted no, and Council member Bill Haslett was not present when the vote was taken.

    Minutes of the Town of Winnsboro’s Water, Sewer and Gas Committee meeting held May 22 state that Fairfield County Chairman David Ferguson, who attended the meeting, requested that the Town review the rate increases for the out-of-town customers, asking that the in-town and out-of-town rates be the same.

    A month ago, when finalizing the Town’s 2012-2013 budget, a water rate increase of 10 percent for all in-town residential retail customers and a 26 percent increase for all out-of-town residential retail customers was being considered by Town Council.

    “We got a lot of calls about the water rate increase,” said Wood. “We just had to adjust it to make the numbers work.”

    The rate increases could have been much higher, Fantry said, had Winnsboro been forced to conform to the requested design upgrades.

    “The design request would have cost us a tremendous amount of money and the rates would have been blown out of proportion,” Fantry said. “We got it worked out, but I was not sure that was going to happen.”

    James Denton contributed to this story.

  • Planning Commission Hears from Residents on Tree Ordinance

    Although a revised tree ordinance may still be many months away from completion, the first step toward achieving that goal was announced at Wednesday night’s meeting of the Blythewood Planning Commission.

    John Perry, Town Administrator, told the Commission that Land Plan Group South, of Columbia, had been awarded the bid to consult with the Town on the revision of the ordinance. The announcement sparked comments from the audience, who urged the Commission to move forward with the ordinance revisions as quickly as possible.

    Malcolm Gordge, secretary of the recently formed Ashley Oak Homeowners Association, suggested the Commission consider a separate ordinance for residential lots.

    “The key is to act quickly,” said Gordge, who lives on Winding Oak Way, “because at the rate these developers are bulldozing lots, there won’t be a tree left before long.”

    Henry Lovett, also of Winding Oak Way, said he, too, was concerned with the rate at which the trees were coming down, and not just in Ashley Oaks.

    “This is not a request just to protect Ashley Oak,” Lovett said. “This is a request to protect all residential properties within the town limits.”

    Jack Davis, a member of the Planning Commission, said he also lives in Ashley Oaks and has seen the rampant clearing of lots first-hand.

    “To say that clear-cutting is not taking place just because they leave three trees on the lot – that’s as close to clear-cutting as you can get,” Davis said.

    Mike Switzer, Chairman of the Commission, told the audience that the Commission shared their concern and was moving forward with a revised ordinance as quickly as possible.

    “I would like to interject that time is of the essence,” Lovett said. “They’ve got bulldozers sitting on properties clearing lots every day.”

    The Commission also received an update from Perry on the Municipal Improvement District (MID) plan, which he estimated would cost $1.5 million over three years and would include improvements along Boney Road, east to Main Street, as well as along portions of McNulty Road. The plan would also include a proposed new road, “IGA Boulevard,” that would run roughly parallel to Blythewood Road between the IGA and the First Citizens Bank, and which is part of the Town’s Master Plan, Perry said.

    The next step for the plan, Perry said, would be to determine a methodology by which to assess the properties in the proposed MID.

    “Per parcel seems way too arbitrary,” Perry said.

  • Winnsboro Town Council Begins Redistricting Process

    The first public step down the path of redistricting in the Town of Winnsboro began May 15 when the Town Council heard a presentation on the process delivered by Wayne Gilbert of the South Carolina Office of Research and Statistics.

    The process of redistricting, or redrawing the lines that separate elected representative’s districts, takes place every 10 years following a census cycle. Based upon that data, new lines are drawn that must adhere to federally mandated criteria set in the Voting Rights Act of 1965 to prevent the “cracking” and “packing” of minority districts.

    These criteria include creating equal populations, districts that do not dilute minority voting strength or communities of interest.

    Once members of Town Council have made adjustments to the proposed plan presented, the plan will face two readings, including a public hearing, and the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Justice. Mr. Gilbert said the U.S. Department of Justice, which must eventually approve the plan, will have up to 60 days to review and clear the plan.

    “Winnsboro’s next election is scheduled for next April,” Gilbert said. “So we have plenty of time to get this done and through the Justice Department before then.”

    Gilbert said that based upon a town census of 3,550 persons, each of the Town’s four  districts would need to target a number of 888 persons, which the plan presented May 15 would do. Currently, Gilbert explained, there are 689 people in District 1, 1,338 in District 2, 758 in District 3 and 765 in District 4.

    “The overall district plan now is way out of balance,” Gilbert said. “The overall balance should be within a 10 percent deviation between districts.”

    The redistricting process using census data is used to redraw the lines and boundaries of electoral districts within a state. This process affects districts at all levels of government from local school boards, city and county councils to state legislatures in order to make districts equal in population size. The Fairfield County Council and administration recently finished their redistricting process.

    The Town Council will now review Gilbert’s proposed redistricting plan and begin the process and conduct a public hearing. In the meantime, Town Manager Don Wood asked Gilbert to provide a Town map showing the current districts with the proposed districts superimposed over top. The map will be made available at Town Hall for public review.

    Later in the meeting, Council went into executive session to discuss a water project, code named “Oasis,” which is a confidential economic development project initiated by Senator Creighton Coleman. They also discussed whether to allow Fairfield Central High School to minimally water the school’s softball and baseball fields, and two football fields four times a week, which would require 84,000 gallons each week. The Town is currently under a mandatory Extreme Drought Ordinance, which limits water use to household needs and bars lawn watering. The Town is awaiting a connection to provide its Blythewood customers with water from the City of Columbia, which would allow Winnsboro’s water system to recover and provide an ample supply for Fairfield County users.

    After executive session, Town Council members passed a motion to postpone any final decision until the town makes the temporary connection to Columbia water. In addition, a motion was approved to replace one public safety officer who left the department due to disability. The Council also voted to explore the possibility of a contract with the Fairfield County Magistrates Court to handle the judicial proceedings of the Town of Winnsboro Municipal Court.

    The Winnsboro Town Council meets on the first and third Tuesday of each month at 6:15 p.m. at Town Hall, 207 N. Congress St. in downtown Winnsboro. The next meeting is scheduled for June 5. The public is invited to attend.

  • Fairfield County School Board Takes First Look at Budget

    Members of the Fairfield County School Board got their first look at the proposed 2012-2013 budget May 22 and followed that up with a second budget work session Tuesday night.

    Dr. David Eubanks, interim superintendent, called the budget one of the most significant the District has had in many years, as the 2012-2013 budget attempts to reconcile a loss of state revenues with an effort to fund salary increases for District employees, and do so without a tax increase.

    The District is expected to lose $290,771 in special revenue funding from the state in the coming fiscal year, with the largest decreases coming in funding to At Risk Student Learning ($109,158), Special Ed ($84,448) and Aid to Districts ($66,487), according to Kevin Robinson, the District’s Director of Finance. The District will also lose $909,831 in technical assistance and stimulus funds from the state.

    A long anticipated salary increase for District employees will add $2.7 million to the new budget, Robinson said, which has been offset by a reduction of 50.8 positions in the District. The reductions constitute a savings of $2.8 million, Robinson said, and were made through attrition, with only critical vacancies scheduled to be filled.

    “Sometimes, you have to make cuts,” Andrea Harrison, Board Chairwoman, said last week. “We’ve gone a long time without having to make any cuts, and time has finally caught up with us.”

    The proposed cuts will be most felt at Fairfield Central High School, with 15.8 positions planned for elimination. Nine positions will be cut from the District Office, seven at Fairfield Elementary, six at Fairfield Middle School, three each at Fairfield Magnet School, the Career Center and Gordon Odyssey, two at Kelly Miller and one at McCrorey-Liston.

    Late in the May 22 meeting, Board member Bobby Cunningham placed a motion on the floor to accept the cuts. Although the motion received a second from Marchella Pauling, the Board then veered off into a lengthy discussion of the cuts and no vote was ever called for.

    “That was an oversight on my part,” Harrison said, adding that she would make sure the item was placed on the Board’s June 5 agenda.

    While the cuts will make way for salary increases, the Board did not vote to accept the proposed salary scale presented at the May 22 meeting. The lowest minimum hourly rate under the proposed salary scale would be $10.48. The lowest minimum salaried rate would be $16,419.

    While Cunningham and Danielle Miller were prepared to accept the scale and move forward with adjustments as necessary, the salaries prompted questions from Annie McDaniel.

    “We need to review and study this thing,” McDaniel said after Cunningham asked the Chairwoman if a motion to accept was necessary. “We’re going to start a payroll clerk at the same thing as a nurse? I’m only asking that we talk about this. I see some positions on here without degrees making more than people who have degrees.”

  • State House District 41 Candidates Have Their Say

    After a rocky start to the 2012 election season, due to many candidates throughout the state – including two in the Fairfield area – being disqualified from running because of missing a filing deadline, the final ballot has been solidified for the June 12 primary election. A primary runoff will be held June 19 if necessary.

    On June 12, Fairfield County voters will be selecting one of five candidates for the State House of Representatives District 41 seat for a two-year term, which is currently held by Boyd Brown, who is not seeking re-election. The candidates include MaryGail Douglas, Paul Dove, Annie E. McDaniel, Palmer Nicholson and E. Sutton. All are running as Democrats. The winner will face Republican candidate William Gray Nov. 6 in the general election.

    Voters will also select a Fairfield County Sheriff to serve a four-year term. The candidates are Will Montgomery, Eddie L. Big Ed White and incumbent Herman W. Young.

    The final office voters will fill is Fairfield County Clerk of Court, which is a four-year term. Incumbent Betty Jo Beckham is being challenged by Dorothy Boyd Belton.

    Senate District 17 incumbent, Democrat Creighton Coleman, will face challenger Robert Carrison, a Republican, on the November ballot.

    The Independent Voice of Fairfield County contacted the candidates and asked each to respond to a short questionnaire, which was based on the office being sought. This week, the replies of the District 41 House candidates are reprinted here. Next week, The Independent Voice will bring you the candidates for Sheriff and Clerk of Court.

    State House of Representatives District 41

    1. What is your name and current place of employment?

    MaryGail Douglas – I am retired.

    Paul Dove

    – I’m Herbert Paul Dove Jr. I worked for 42 years in college and university libraries, retiring in 2008 as dean of the library and professor at Francis Marion University in Florence, S.C.

    Annie E. McDaniel – (I do not wish my current place of employment listed)

    Palmer Nicholson – My name is John Palmer Nicholson and I am the current owner and manager of Winnsboro Concrete Company.

    E. Sutton – My name is E. Sutton (Eugene). I am a Pastor at Faith Christian, Winnsboro, S.C.

    2. What do you believe is the role of a state representative?

    Douglas – To understand what the people of the district want to happen at the state level and advocate for those ideas in a way to promote the county economically, which will provide a better way of life for the district’s citizen. The role of our representative should be that of building relationships with fellow legislators to advance the entire state. S.C. government is an organization. The state will only be as strong as its weakest part. My job will be to make District 41 a strong link.

    Dove – He or she represents the citizens of the district at the state level in creating laws, revising existing statutes, and working with other legislators to advance the interests of the district and the state, with business and industry, education, health care, economic development, public safety and the other myriad facets of state government. The representative works for the best interests of constituents as their voice in the South Carolina House. He or she coordinates district concerns and works with local governments to ensure the district receives due consideration in all issues before the House.

    McDaniel – The South Carolina Legislature is a group of 124 individuals elected by state designated districts that work to create the laws that govern our state.

    The House of Representatives meets from January through June of each year. During this time, they participate in making new laws, changing old laws and reviewing the impact laws will have or have had on the people in their districts and the state of S.C. Members of the House serve on several house Committees where the effects of laws are studied. Members can make suggestions for new laws, which must go through a process to determine if it will pass and become law.

    Nicholson – As your state representative I will do my best to work with all in the State House to govern the state in an effective and fiscally responsible manner.  I will also do what is needed to bridge the gap between my constituents and the legislature so that you can voice all concerns.  In addition, I will be a leader of our community and assist the different governing bodies (i.e. County, Municipal, School and Associations) in any way they need.  In other words, I feel that my role is to be your voice wherever you feel that it needs to be heard.

    Sutton – The role of a State Representative is to represent the people of the district on the state level: to review, repeal and write laws for the State and present new laws that will benefit the district and the state, to battle for the best budget and aid other Representatives in developing the best economic support for our state and district.

    3. How will you make yourself available to listen to all of the district’s constituents?

    Douglas – There are basically 10 pocket communities in District 41. The concept is to have community “point” people. This “point person” will organize interested persons in that community to actively participate in decisions made at our state level. Meetings with these groups would be driven by those individual communities. In our present-day electronic communication environment, there is no excuse for “not staying in touch” with constituents.

    Dove – I live in the Lebanon community and attend as many public functions as time allows. I am a member of at least eight organizations in the district, attend county council meetings when possible and participate in events in the district as often as time allows. My email and phone numbers are publicized. I accept all invitations to speak with groups when scheduled sufficiently in advance to avoid conflicts with other obligations, and I encourage dialogue. During my entire career I maintained a literal “open door” policy which worked well.

    McDaniel – I am accessible via email, cell phone and social media for my constituents.  As a current public servant I am available 24 hours a day and will continue to be available 24 hours a day as the State Representative for House District 41.

    Nicholson – In the world we live in today, the one thing that should not be an issue is communication.  Not only can you access me by telephone, email and social media, but also my door at Winnsboro Concrete is always open.  I promise to make myself easily accessible and ready to listen to whatever concerns you may have.

    Sutton – I would open a local office in the District, personally be available for my constituents on certain days of the week, create community forums and create a citizen advisor committee.

    4. What role will you have in addressing the district’s needs for a long term solution to our water shortage?

    Douglas – I honestly don’t have enough information to address this properly and to make an attempt would be faking an explanation.

    Dove – Although this is a local issue that rests primarily with the Town of Winnsboro and must be solved by that body, I will work with that body in whatever legal ways they deem useful. I do not see this as a state issue yet, aside from DHEC rules and regulations and the policies, rules and statutes which protect us from unsafe water supplies.

    McDaniel – I will hold meetings within the impacted areas and listen to both the citizens and experts regarding the water shortage.  The meetings will allow citizens to express their views and concerns as well as give constituents an opportunity to hear from and ask questions of experts and professionals.  The influence I will try to impost will be based on what is in the best interest of all citizens and the District.

    Nicholson – The district’s water shortage is an issue that needs to be solved immediately because the advancement of Fairfield County is dependent upon the availability of county wide utilities.  This is one of those issues where any and all options need to be heard and discussed, whether it be a long term agreement with other municipalities or piping water in from other water sources.  I would hope that this issue is resolved before I ever take office but if not I will work hard from day one with all the parties involved to resolve this issue as quickly as possible.

    Sutton – As it relates to water, help the county and towns along with the five water companies to create a true infrastructure around our lakes and rivers which would provide us with adequate water. Just look at the nuclear plant as an example, they use an abundance of water from the Broad River which created a great Lake Monticello. So do we really have a shortage of water or just a lack of infrastructure?

    5. How can Fairfield County get its school district on track and how will you assist in that goal?

    Douglas – The issues in our school district are many. We can learn a lot from the history of our district. We have gone from allowing past administrators a free reign to micro-managing every aspect of the school district’s business. I see my role as being a resource and a sounding board for information. The key to improving our school district situation is to include more citizens in the process. I can do that. In the future, there may be legislation needed to credential candidates for school boards just as there is for magistrates, etc.

    Dove – We must stop micro-managing our school system. That is not a board function. Conversely, the administration cannot add or delete programs, e.g. the AP program, without board authorization, which is a board function. Some school board members have attended many state and national school board conferences but do not seem to understand the role, function, limits or even purpose they are to serve. I say this from experience as an eight-term chair of the Marion County Library’s Board of Trustees. Serving on a board is a great civic service. Unifying a board is a diplomatic and deliberate process.

    I will assist by getting to know district educators better, spending time in the schools – I have already visited six of our eight public schools – and attending school board meetings when possible. Talking to principals and other teachers has already helped me understand more deeply and appreciate better the tasks before our competent and seasoned educators, who, in spite of board fiascoes, are doing what needs to be done, what has to be done, in the classroom. My daughter is a seventh-grade math teacher in the Greenville public school system, and we speak often of school objectives and practices. Also, I am a product of our public school system.  I believe I have insights and experiences that will lend themselves to helping our schools do their critical job if we are to produce the graduates our technological world demands.

    McDaniel – Currently Fairfield County School District has a lot of great things going on; however, special interest have chosen to exploit the district and our children’s great performance is over shadowed by the bad and the over exaggeration through the press.  Public education is currently under siege and Fairfield is not exempt.  As a start, I will assist the district from a state perspective with telling the district’s story through various state venues, develop a district portfolio which depicts the great things that are going on in the district, encourage hiring of  highly qualified individuals and encourage more community and parent input and involvement.  I will work with the board and not use my position to impose my wishes or laws (through local legislation) upon the board.  I will appoint a second set of eyes that will assist in getting the message of the district out and review the movement of the district. Monthly meetings will be held among the leaders of the district so that issues and concerns can be discussed in a professional environment with hopes of positive resolution.  Through round table meetings with the Board and Superintendent, I will remind both the Board and Superintendent of their role and responsibility to the children and the district.  Through my community newsletter, I will keep the district informed of the progress of the district.  Lastly, I will encourage the district live up to its motto of “Excellence by Example” and holding those who are trusted to make our district great accountable.

    Nicholson – As a father, I know that the education of our children is the most important thing that we do as adults.  As your legislator, I will do everything within the realm of my position to assist the school district in any way possible.  It is imperative that we are served by a fiscally responsible school board that allows an administration to do the job that they are hired to do.  We must create an environment where good teachers want to come and help our families in the education of our children.

    Sutton – The school district belongs to the people of Fairfield County; children cannot raise themselves or teach themselves. It is time to create a strategic plan from the community, both public and private to develop an adequate plan of action. It is clearly we the people and I will champion the cause to bring our community to the table of education with the support of others on the state and federal level.