Letters

We must hold our elected accountable

The Editor

Recent Editorial Columns have addressed the major

problem of elected government in this country, apathy. Locally a majority of the tax payers have �turned off� elected government in Florence County . Hence the finances of the county are kept under cover and used as a few see fit. An open government organization (FCCIA) is conducting a petition drive as a starter of reversing this unacceptable practice. Concerned citizens can make a difference if they will step forward and participate and through a ballot referendum the hated $30 per vehicle tax can be reduced back to the original $15. We are headed into a new round of millage increases for pending facilities for a Justice Center , Economic Development, and a new Regional Airport . Make your voice heard by participating in the effort for open Government.

How has government at State, Local and National levels reached this deplorable state? Without term limits we now have professional politicians at all levels of government. They are funded by Special Interest for their benefit, by keeping them in office. The average Tax Paying Citizen has no representation, the elected office holders are committed only to those who put them in office. The cost of being elected to State or Federal office has become prohibitive to any candidate to benefit all of the citizens. At the local level, our county government is run behind closed doors, primarily with the financing kept out of public purview! The tax payers are owed the courtesy of a public forum to review the receipts and disbursements to operate the County's Government. Any question to this end is �stonewalled� and requires a FOI to be filed and the 15 day rule is rarely honored, according to state law. Why keep the tax payers in the dark, what do you have to hide?

When the voters become totally �fed-up� perhaps a change can take place.

The challenge is to expedite this cycle before it is TOO LATE. Step forward and learn the facts on how you can be a factor in holding elected representatives accountable. Over 200 members of the FCCIA are organized to promote Open Government, Contact any one of them to learn how you can participate.

March 8, 2007

W. G. Ranson

 

 

Harry Logan, Regional Editor
Morning News
PO Box 100528
Florence, SC 29501
Dear Mr. Logan:
The January 6th Florence County Council meeting fell on the same day as Councilman Terry Alexander's mother�s funeral. This was an unfortunate coincidence made worse when five councilmen, Rusty Smith, Russell Culberson, Mitchell Kirby, Waymon Mumford, and Johnnie Rodgers voted not to defer the election of a new chairman. I attended this meeting and was very proud of Councilwoman, Jennie O�Bryan who made the motion to defer the election. She made a statement saying this was out of respect for Councilman Alexander and that he would also be able to cast a vote if the election was deferred. Morris Anderson and Ken Ard voted with Mrs. O�Bryan to defer the election. Rusty Smith won the election with Mrs. O�Bryan casting the lone vote for Mr. Alexander. Mr. Alexander was the only announced candidate prior to the January 6 meeting. In an attempt to rationalize the insensitivity of this event, Mr. Smith stated in the Morning News article of January 13, "No member of County Council asked for postponement prior to the meeting and it is unfortunate that this came up unexpectedly in the meeting. Had the request to postpone been made prior to the meeting, I am confidant postponement would have been granted." Mr. Smith�s statement is a blatant admission that the council does not practice open government. This is a blatant admission that decisions are routinely made behind closed doors prior to public council meetings. The appropriate place to make this decision was publicly at the council meeting. Councilwoman O�Bryan actions were correct and honest. Also Mr. Smith's statement that postponement would have occurred had the request been made prior to the meeting is double talk. If it was the right decision before the council meeting, it was the right decision during the council meeting. There is only one solution and that solution is the ballot box. The next council election is a year and a half away. This incident is one of many reasons why new people need to be elected to Florence County Council. Hopefully the public�s memory will be long.
Sincerely,
Licia Stone
2012 Brock Circle
Florence, SC 29501

October 15, 2004
Editorial for Morning News
Dear Editor:
Florence County Council has written an ordinance to cover a wide range of procedures allowing them to spend county funds. I think the citizens of Florence County deserve a revision of this ordinance that is simple, to the point, and with no room for questionable spending. I was a councilman for 14 years and have the knowledge to back up my statements. Frankly, I am appalled by the present unethical and illegal spending of the discretionary funds. Below are specific examples of the abuses of the discretionary funds. (1) Repairing sewer lines in city water and sewer service areas. This is unethical. (2) Giving a check to a city major for $30,000.00 to use at his discretion. This is illegal. (3) Paying for rock to be put on private roads and a church parking in district 4. This is illegal. (4) Installing pipe and catch basins on a state highway in front of private homes because the state refused to do this for individuals. This is not the county�s responsibility. This is unethical. (5) Installing sidewalks inside city limits. This is unethical. (6) Over 90 percent of the discretionary funds are being used for political purposes. This is unethical. Citizens of Florence County, everything mentioned in this editorial is available to you with a written FREEDOM-OF-INFORMATION request to the county administrator. I have written this letter because I believe the citizens of Florence County want to be informed and want change. I feel that under the circumstances, a referendum should be put before the citizens of Florence County to establish a county ethics commission, and county sewer and water authority. During 1990, while I was on council, we discovered that over 50 percent of people driving vehicles on Florence County roads were not paying property taxes. The county receives 25 cents out of every tax dollar, the other 75 cents goes to public schools. It was then that the council decided to add the $15 dollar road fee to prevent raising property taxes. Originally this money was put in the Public Works budget and was earmarked for new equipment and county operations. In 2002, the present council added $15 dollars to the road fee bringing the total to $30 dollars. Fifteen percent of the $30 dollar road fee goes into the discretionary funds. The councilmen are allowed to roll these funds over each year and can accumulate high balances. At election time, the councilmen can spend these funds at their discretion. If you recall, it was in May 2004 that the Citizens in Action asked that a moratorium be placed on these funds. They were simply ignored by council. If you are unhappy with what is going on, there is only one way you can change things - vote against all incumbent councilmen. The only way we can change things is with new people. One last thing that really bothers me greatly is that the present council members traded our county water system (a money maker) to the city for recreation (a money loser). Guess what? Tom Smith is trying to do the same thing to the people of Johnsonsville.
Ted Vause
3955 Creek Road
Timmonsville, SC 29161
843-346-9025