By Betsy Finklea
The third reading of an ordinance authorizing the execution of an agreement and contract by and between Dillon County and Marlboro Development Team, Inc. providing for construction of an industrial building passed in a 4-2 vote just moments ago (Wednesday evening) at the regular meeting of the Dillon County Council, but only after a public hearing and a spirited discussion by council.
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Voting to approve the ordinance were Councilmen Harold Moody, Joe Johnson, Buzzy Finklea, and Andrew Graves. Voting against the ordinance were Chairman Archie Scott and Councilman Randy Goings. Councilman Bobby Moody abstained from the vote.
The vote came after a public hearing where two members of the public, Robert McRae and Billy Miller, offered remarks. Both sets of remarks were about getting the best possible price.
Later in the meeting, council had their chance to comment, and there were some very passionate speeches made by several of the councilmen. The most unique, however, came from Chairman Scott, who put on a hose mask similar to that of a burglar, and told the council members that if they did not look at both presentations and do a comparison then what they were doing is robbery. 
“If we do this today, this is robbery,” said Scott. “Those who vote today to pass this are saying when then run for re-election: ‘I’m not the one, look for another.'”
Councilman Graves said he was making what he thought was the best decision for Dillon County. He said Dillon County will never prosper as long as Dillon County Council doesn’t take a chance on some things. He spoke of some of the threats he had received. “If the decision I make causes me to lose the election, then I’ll just have to lose,” Graves said. He said you have to be man enough to stand up for what you believe is right.
Councilman H. Moody made several remarks also and said that “instead of arguing like children we need to work together like men.” He stressed the importance of planning and moving forward.
Councilman Johnson also made a very passionate speech about bringing jobs to the unemployed and giving young people opportunities in Dillon County.
Councilman Randy Goings said he wanted what was best for the taxpayers and felt that they should take some time to look at the proposals. “Another month won’t make a difference,” Goings said. Marlboro Electric had publicly stated that after 30 days their deal came off the table and that 30 days was nearing its end.
Councilman Bobby Moody said he didn’t see that much difference in the two proposals. [slide]
Don’t miss the Tuesday, July 2 issue of The Dillon Herald where we will have much more from this meeting as well as stories on a number of other things. Due to the July 4 holiday, this issue will be on the street beginning at 7 a.m. on Monday, July 1.
UPDATED:
By Betsy Finklea
The third reading of an ordinance authorizing the execution of an agreement and contract by and between Dillon County and Marlboro Development Team, Inc. providing for construction of an industrial building passed in a 4-2 vote on Wednesday at the regular meeting of the Dillon County Council, but only after a public hearing and a spirited discussion by council.
Voting to approve the ordinance were Councilmen Harold Moody, Joe Johnson, Buzzy Finklea, and Andrew Graves. Voting against the ordinance were Chairman Archie Scott and Councilman Randy Goings. Councilman Bobby Moody abstained from the vote.
The vote came after a public hearing where two members of the public, Robert McRae and Billy Miller, offered remarks. Both sets of remarks were about getting the best possible price.
McRae said when the council does things they should take the public’s interest at heart and spend the money wisely. Miller said that getting the best price is the best goal.
Later in the meeting, council had their chance to comment, and there were some very passionate speeches made by several of the councilmen.
Councilman Randy Goings said he would like to tell his fellow citizens that when these types of meeting are held that he would like people to come and speak their minds. He said he wanted to know what the public was thinking and how they felt about issues. He said if their councilman was not doing what they expected, then they shouldn’t vote them back in. “Speak your peace, and we’ll listen,” Goings said.
Chairman Archie Scott said he thought the third reading of the ordinance was a bad deal between Marlboro Development Team and Dillon County. He said he had looked at both proposals, and he tried to call a meeting of council to discuss those proposals, but he failed to get four people to agree. He said he wanted to be fair, but it was surprising to him when his efforts failed. He said on major issues they needed to find common ground where they could all get along.
Scott said they needed to break the”old stronghold” in Dillon County. If they didn’t break it, Dillon County would never be successful. He said when people fail to meet, there’s a problem.
He said that this must be a “buddy-buddy” deal when seven people can’t sit down at the table and discuss things. He said they must look at the savings to taxpayers and what bothered him was that this must be a “cooked-up deal,” and he had a problem with that.
Scott said another reason it was a bad deal to him was that Marlboro Electric had the option on the property not Dillon County so there was no price control because the people with the option can ask for what they want.
Scott said that they needed to table this. He said they were robbing the taxpayers of Dillon County and holding the taxpayers up if they voted without considering and comparing both proposals.
At this point, Scott put on a stocking mask. Scott said that he, Graves, and Finklea had all been in law enforcement and if they saw someone who looked like he did they would have arrested them.
“Let’s try to protect our taxpayers in Dillon County,” said Scott. “Don’t let somebody from the outside come rob us.”
Scott said this old type politics must stop. He said it will always be the upper class fighting the lower class. He said what they were doing didn’t make sense without a comparison.
“If we do this today, this is robbery,” said Scott. “Those who vote today to pass this are saying when then run for re-election: ‘I’m not the one, look for another.’”
Councilman Andrew Graves said he know the chairman is saying that this is a buddy-buddy deal and all of this, but he was making his decision on what he thought was best for Dillon County. He said they will h ave to leave buddy-buddy aside and the good ol’ boy system aside.
Graves said Dillon County will never prosper as long as Dillon County does not take a chance on some things. He said he was not saying to spend the money foolishly.
He said he didn’t think it would be fair to accept a bid from another party after Marlboro did their presentation and then later they took a bid from someone else. He said it was not fair to Marlboro Electric for someone to see their proposal and then two weeks later come up with their presentation.
“If the decision I make causes me to lose the election, then I’ll just have to lose,” Graves said.
Graves then spoke about threats he had received. He said some have called and told him that if he voted for the Marlboro Electric proposal then they would have two or three to run against him in the next election. He said if they put 10 against him that if the citizens didn’t want him they wouldn’t vote for him anyway. He said his decision would come from him.
He said that the 15 acres that Gunter Kale was promising them sounded good, but he wondered what was behind it. he said they built a road off Highway 34 through the Gaddy property and it was one of the best paved roads in Dillon County with nothing but corn growing around it.
Graves said he didn’t like for anyone to threaten him and that he was man enough to stand up for what he believed was right.
Scott then said this was not a free building. He asked council, “If this was your money, then ask yourself, would you spend your own money without getting the best deal?” He said they wouldn’t and no one would.
Graves said that they had seven men elected to make the best decision for the taxpayers. He said that they have too many county councilmen who have not been elected trying to make decisions for the county. He said if some tell them to jump then they jump.
Graves said his decision was that he felt that this was the best for Dillon County.
Scott said they were not spending their own money but they were spending tax money.
“I’ll say this until the day that Jesus comes,” said Scott. “If this was your money… If this was your money…Ask yourself the question, if this was your money, would you spend it without looking for the best price?”
Scott said he was in favor of a spec building, but not at any cost.
Councilman Harold Moody said he had been on council a long time. He said he saw when IFH went to Florence County and teamed up with Pee Dee Electric to put in the Touch Tone Energy Park.
He said that Dillon County has more options on land than probably any county in the state, but they have never laid out an adequate plan.
H. Moody said at the present time, they had an industry located here that wants to expand, but that is probably going to a county that has a Class A spec building.
He said let’s plan and move on. He said they need to put a plan together and move forward. He said that was one of the things he liked about the Marlboro Electric proposal. They have a plan.
He said that if instead of arguing they put their energy into planning, they could do a lot.
H. Moody said no one had offered anything for gree and held up The Dillon Herald which showed a comparison of the proposals.
“Instead of arguing like children,” said H. Moody, “Let’s work together like men.”
Scott asked H. Moody if he went to buy a truck and one was $80,000 and one was $60,000, which one wold he buy. H. Moody said he would buy the truck that would take him where he wanted to go. He said that he was not buying a car, he was building a spec building.
Councilman Joe Johnson said he thought that it was a good plan. He also pointed to the comparison in The Dillon Herald and said it was plain and simple and that the Marlboro Electric deal was the best for Dillon County.
Johnson said when industry comes to a community they have three priorities—location, location, location. He said that tells one how important location is—it can make or break an industry. He said it was easy to see that Marlboro Electric had the best location.
He said council has spent several hundred thousand dollars putting a road in through the Gaddy property. He said it didn’t make sense to leave the infrastructure they had invested in to go to another location.
Johnson said this deal was much, much more than a spec building and that it would be much larger than a spec building.
Johnson said they were voting on bringing industry to Dillon County. he said it had been 10 years since a major industry had been brought to Dillon County. He pointed out that was 10 graduating classes at Dillon High School, Lake View High School, Latta High School, and Dillon Christian School. He said those children had graduated and some have even graduated college. He said some still wanted to be in Dillon County, but there were no opportunities for them. He said they were talking about several thousand students. “Don’t we have an obligation to create jobs for them?”
Then he went on to talk about jobs. He said that Dillon County has one of the highest unemployment rates in South Carolina. “Today we vote for those who are unemployed.” He said they have a responsibility to those people as well..
He said when one goes from Miami to New York on I-95, they have to pass through 20 miles of interstate through Dillon County, but that Dillon County was one of the few places that has not capitalized on I-95. “It’s a gold mine out there,” said Johnson, who said that the Marlboro Electric property was fronted on I-95.
He said that the vote was for people who needed jobs and students who want to live here. “We have an obligation, a responsibility, and an opportunity to make that happen,” said Johnson.
Johnson said he also had gotten threats by mail with no return address, phone calls, and some face to face encounters. “Is this the way we want to do business in Dillon County?,” asked Johnson. “I didn’t run for this office to make a living,” said Johnson. “ I ran to make a difference.”
Johnson said he believed that great things were on the horizon for Dillon County and today was the day to vote for greater things.
Scott said he agreed with the paper that it was a case of simple math, but he had many areas of concern such as no way to control the price.
Councilman Bobby Moody said he didn’t see too much difference in either one of the bids.
Goings said he wanted the best cost for taxpayers and wanted to take a little time. He said he didn’t like to be rushed, and he didn’t think another month would make a difference although Marlboro Electric gave them a 30 day deadline which was nearing its end. He said it was too much money to be spent to go into a 4-3 vote.
Shortly thereafter, the third reading was held and passed in a 4-2 vote with one councilman abstaining.
The council then passed a resolution for a development agreement by and between Dillon County and Marlboro Development Team, Inc. Attorney Ken Dubose said this was an ancillary document. This passed 5-2. Scott and Goings were the negative votes.
