County budget takes center stage

Members of Clarendon County Council faced a full agenda Monday night as the second reading of the 2010-2011 budget and presentations by each of the three school districts could easily have made for a lengthy meeting.

Add to that public hearings on the budget and the proposed animal control ordinance and council members probably needed to have packed a lunch.

County Controller Lynden Anthony presented a second look at the budget, which had ended at first reading with a $757,343 deficit in general operations. At neither the first or second reading were there any new tax increases.

“Significant work has been done to reduce that deficit to $579,525 at second reading,” Anthony said. “Some changes resulted from revising current staffing and compensation levels by using more current data.”

Anthony explained that other deficit reducing measures came from decisions to proceed with capital requests for the Detention Center, Fleet Maintenance and the Finance Department in this fiscal year.

Additionally, Anthony explained that the hospital had significantly reduced its request for countywide EMS services by $108,000.

The county would also be realizing some savings by delaying the purchase of a new phone system ($35,000) and reducing first year support for Weldon Auditorium by $25,000.

“We still have work to do to bring the budget into balance,” Anthony stated. “No changes have been made to the budgets presented to Council from elected officials.”

The budget must be balanced and finalized for third and final reading on June 14. The Council passed the budget at second reading and ordered Administrator Bill Houser to return for third reading with a balanced budget.

When a public hearing was convened for citizen comments on the budget, only one person stood to speak, Manning resident Toni Baker, with Wyboo resident Jim Latham posing a few questions.

Baker questioned the feasibility of providing county employees with a three percent cost of living increase this year.

“I could probably live with a one or one-and-a-half percent increase, but three percent seems excessive in these economic times,” she said. County employees received no cost of living increase last year.

Baker also questioned the public works director needing a “new, $32,000 Tahoe truck and the need for six new patrol cars and a $24,000 Tahoe for a sheriff’s investigator.”

Latham questioned the increase in the hospital debt appropriation.

“The hospital has already drawn down about $8.5 million of the $22.5 million and debt service to the $8.5 million was taxed for on your 2010 tax bill,” explained Anthony. “We anticipate the hospital, as they move forward with their expansion to continue to draw down those remaining funds. We must have the funds collected as debt service will be due before the next fiscal year rolls around.”

Taking considerably more time was the public hearing and subsequent Council discussion on the animal control ordinance.

Animal lover Christine Shepherd asked the Council to please consider hiring a local person who knows about animals and can recognize a true stray from a dog who is just out and about.

“Euthanasia should be reserved only for the very sick or injured,” she said. “We must first start with educating animal owners about spaying and neutering.”

J.T. Myers, a member of the ordinance advisory committee and a board member with the Second Chance Animal Shelter, urged that the Council pass the ordinance because the need is so great.

“There may be some imperfections in this ordinance, but we must pass it for the greater good it will do.”

Howard Judd said that the ordinance is like “the camel sticking his nose in the tent. How long before he comes all the way in?”

Judd said he felt like the ordinance went too far and harms those who chose the rural lifestyle by making their lives more like city dwelling.

“By passing the ordinance, you are imposing a one-time tax on me of about $1,500 because I will have to fence my yard,” he added.

Things didn’t get any clearer when it was time for the Council to vote.

The greatest issue was in funding the work of animal control. Bill Houser explained that there are already funds in the FY2010-2011 budget to provide a facility to house picked up animals and there are monies allocated in the sheriff’s budget for at least part of a year’s salary for an animal control officer.

Both the budget and the animal control ordinances will need a third and final reading to be held on June 14. County Council meetings begin at 6 p.m. at the F.E. DuBose Center Auditorium.