By Betsy Finklea
The Dillon County Council in a 4-3 vote approved the third and final reading of the budget ordinance at a called meeting on Friday morning.
After the pledge and invocation, Councilman Robbie Coward made a motion to amend the agenda to add council comments. Chairman Archie Scott asked if there was anything else. County Attorney Alan Berry said they needed to add repairs that needed to be made at the Judicial Center with the finding of emergency status. The amendments to the agenda were approved and the amended agenda was approved.
Chairman Scott then moved forward with the agenda. The first item of business was “an ordinance to provide budget appropriations for county purposes in the County of Dillon for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2017 and ending June 30, 2018 and adopt and implement rates and fees and for other tax purposes and county appropriation purposes and to establish the tax millage to provide for the budget.”
County Administrator Rodney Berry commented that the budget before them had $100,000 for Northeastern Technical College and $150,000 for the school system.
Councilman James Campbell said Mr. Administrator, as you are aware we met with the school officials several times, and we tried to compromise with them and we were kind of in agreement with giving them $150,000, but we weren’t able to compromise with them.
Campbell then made a motion to amend the budget with the $150,000 placed back in the fund balance if that is appropriate. This motion was seconded by Coward. The vote was 4-3 with Campbell, Coward, A. Scott, and Councilman Jack Scott voting for the motion and Councilman T.F. “Buzzy” Finklea, Jr., Vice-Chairman Stevie Grice, and Councilman Harold Moody voting against the motion.
Later in the meeting, Campbell made a motion to approve the third reading of the budget as amended. This was seconded by Coward.
Chairman Scott then called for discussion. Finklea said that “Section 4-9-640 of the S.C. Code of Laws regarding preparation and submission of budget and descriptive statement states: The county administrator shall prepare the proposed operating and capital budgets and submit them to the council at such time as the council determines. At the time of submitting the proposed budget, the county administrator shall submit to the council a statement describing the important features of the proposed budgets including all sources of anticipated revenue of the county government and the amount of tax revenue required to meet the financial requirements of the county.”
“I didn’t get that,” Finklea said.
Chairman Scott said he didn’t get that, but the budget ordinance he thought was sufficient. He said they had a motion on the floor. They had a second, and they had discussion. He called for the vote.
The vote again was 4-3 with A. Scott, Campbell, Coward, and J. Scott voting for the passing of the third reading of the budget, and Finklea, Grice, and Moody voting against it.
During the council comments, Jack Scott said he would like to make a statement. He held up a checkbook. “I’ve got a checkbook here from my constituents from Lake View. I have been threatened during all this stuff that the Lake View schools could be shut down if my deciding vote didn’t go the right way. I hold this checkbook up to show Rodney Berry – what I presented to Rodney Berry – I presented it to the head of the school board,” said J. Scott.
“I said here’s a check from the people of Lake View to cover everything involved that we’re arguing about. Now that’s how simple it could be, but we want to do it the hard way,” said J. Scott.
“So they decided not to take Lake View’s checkbook and to threaten me with the Lake View’s schools being shut down,” J. Scott said. “You see how simple it is.”
“My constituents said take Lake View’s money, solve all the problems, and let’s start over again,” said J. Scott. “Well, I set up a meeting at the country club with the powers to be on Monday. They almost fought before they left,” said J. Scott.
“You see how simple it is, ladies and gentlemen, one checkbook with three checks solved the whole problem, and let’s start over again,” J. Scott said.
“Now to show you how considerate my legislator is. I am his councilman. He lives in my district. I represent him as a councilman. He has not called me one time. He has not been to see me one time. He’s not been to one of these meetings, and he’s the one that sets your taxes with the school board when your taxes get high,” said J. Scott.
“Now he’s telling me, sending me word, that I’m going to be responsible for what I’ve been seeing on tv this morning,” said J. Scott.
“Mr. Jack Scott. Ain’t I powerful? I’m responsible for shutting the schools down and raising the tax millage five mills. I’ve been on the council for six months. I’m about the most powerful man I’ve seen in the State of South Carolina,” J. Scott said.
“That’s where we’re at with our leaders. We don’t have a choice as an elected school board. We’ve got to take what’s dumped on us by the leg-is-la-tor,” said J. Scott. “That’s where your legislator is and how concerned he is about you.”
In other action, the council approved the repairs expenses for the repairs on an emergency basis for the judicial center.
