ST. MATTHEWS -- In one of the first responses to South Carolina’s economic crisis, Calhoun County Council agreed Monday to offset state budget cuts that would substantially reduce salaries for the auditor and treasurer for the remainder of the fiscal year.
Unlike the county’s other elected officials, the auditor and treasurer receive split salaries from both the county ($32,000) and the state ($19,000).
County Administrator Lee Prickett explained that he received notice from the state comptroller general that each official’s salary would be directly cut $233 per pay period through June. The gross cuts, considering benefits, would be $574.28 per pay period. That’s $6,891.36 for each official and $13,782.72 for both, which council approved as a budget transfer.
“We’ll see if we can go through June 30 and see what happens,” said Council Chairman David Summers. “We’ll look at it again at budget time. Something might take place and it will be put back in. We’ll offset it for six months and see if the state puts it back in or what happens.”
According to Summers, council has always kept the salaries of the auditor, treasurer, probate judge and clerk of court the same.
Councilman James Haigler asked what council would do if “at the end of six months the money is not there.”
The answer is “they’ll take salary cuts,” Prickett said.
Summers said that the six months reprieve will give the auditor and treasurer, who “got slammed” with the cuts at Christmas, time to “get adjusted” if lawmakers don’t reappropriate the funds.
“What might happen is some of these state agencies we’ve been helping -- the solicitor and Clemson Extension -- they might be the ones to take a hit,” Summers said.
The administrator said, “I’d certainly recommend, before you impact our employees, you cut out state agencies.”
Not affected by council’s action are the $1,575 annual supplements the county’s other elected officials receive annually from the state. These funds are sent to the county for disbursement.
“That was a little present the legislature gave them. I’m surprised they haven’t cut that out,” Summers said. “It’s one of those ‘in-your-face’ deals from the legislature about 20 years ago.”
If the legislature cuts those separate $1,500 supplements, Summers said the county would not replace the money.
“That’s just too bad,” he said.
In remarks after he was re-elected chairman, Summers said he hopes the county won’t have to “do any furloughing.”
“We try to run things in the county very lean and that should come in our favor,” he said.
Haigler, who was re-elected vice chairman, noted that the county “hasn’t let any people go.”
Otherwise, Prickett said the county budget is “in fairly good shape,” with expenses in line. Two exceptions are the electric budget, which has 43 percent of its budget remaining for the last half of the fiscal year, and the public works department’s account for road repair rock.
In other business, council received as information an update from consultants HPG on the county’s key water projects.
In the Fort Motte-New Bethany area, water has been turned on and only new connections and clean-up remain to be done.
“I hope that fellow who brought that green water in here that night has signed up,” Summers said, referring to repeated visits some 20 years ago by the Rev. J.A. Williams and his bottle of stained water.
The first water bills for the area go out in February.
With some $400,000 left over in loan/grant funding, council directed that it be applied to building water lines down U.S. Highway 21 to Interstate 26. Also, council approved the contract for the $53,975 end of the year funding that is available from the Rural Development Administration to go toward the expansion project.
Council approved two change orders concerning the projects. One is for an additional $140,358.70 to make the water lines large enough to serve the industrial park, from RDA funds on hand. The other is a $37,784.10 increase in Community Development Block Grant funds in the eligible portion of New Bethany to reflect the increased cost of material.
In other business, council:
n Received an update from Director Bill Minikiewicz on plans for an Emergency Medical Services substation in the Creston-Cameron area. Two pieces of property, totalling about three-fourths of an acre, are being purchased for $1,500 apiece. Grants totalling $32,000 will help toward the estimated $60,000 cost of the proposed building.
n Received as information, an update from Director Kristen Simensen on plans for the new library.
“I’m told the final meeting before we get started,” is scheduled for Thursday, she said.
n Received as information, a report from the administrator that the county has applied for water and wastewater infrastructure funds from the proposed federal economic stimulus package.
n Approved the 2009 holiday schedule for county employees.
n Held a public hearing on an ordinance to add CMC in Lexington County to the joint Lexington-Calhoun multi-county industrial park. No one spoke during the hearing and final third reading of the ordinance is on hold.
n After swearing in Summers of District 1 and Councilwoman Helen Carson of District 2 to new four-year terms, re-elected Summers as council chairman and Haigler as vice chairman. Also, Councilman Roger Hill, who expressed thanks for support during his recent surgery, was elected chaplain.
In other comments, Summers urged the public to participate in the Feb. 14th final celebration of the county’s 100th anniversary at the museum.
n In closed, executive session, received a legal briefing from Haynsworth Sinkler & Boyd on the Columbia Energy (Calpine) tax appeal and discussed a personnel matter concerning the building and planning department.
n T&D Government Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by calling 803-533-5545.