Local Radar

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County Council approves new Fire Contract, Merriwether loses funds

web posted February 7, 2007

EDGEFIELD – The Edgefield County Council held their February monthly meeting Tuesday night with a light attendance of citizens in the audience. Among the four ordinances receiving first or second readings was the new county contract with the seven local fire districts. The new contract raises the minimum amount of money that a department can receive from $25,000 to $45,000, a big boost for Johnston, Trenton, Northside, and Westside Fire Departments.

The contract, which has to meet the approval of all seven fire departments, has been in the works for several months. The last contract, signed in 2001 expired last June but a self-renewing clause keep the distribution of funds based on tax revenues collect from the seven districts. This left outlying areas and like Westside and Northside Departments operating on just $25,000 a year. The impact was felt also in Johnston and Trenton.

Under the new contract the millage rate will remain the same, however, Merriwether Fire Department has agreed of forgo the funds collected through vehicle taxes and the county has agreed to change its administrative costs from 10% to a flat fee of $15,000 Administrator John Pettigrew said.

The loss in revenue for the Merriwether Department is at least $35,000 a year. Earlier proposed contracts would have cut funding in the fastest growing region of the county by 30%. Ray Johnson, a fire board member, said the new contract will “keep the doors open” but will hurt the plans the department had to improve the fire rating from an ISO 5 to an ISO 4. The lower rating would save taxpayers “tremendously” on their home insurance Johnson said.
 
The council approved the new contract with a unanimous vote. The ordinance on the contract will have to complete three readings to be official.

Other ordinances that were approved were a first reading to approve a supplement to the Code of Ordinances, a second reading on General Requirements for Road Acceptance and the authorization for the sale of a bond to refinance the principle of earlier bonds to save between $9,350 and $10, 850 in interest payments.

Under New Business the council voted to approve the calendar for the budget process that will begin next month. The County Council will hold three public work sessions on March 20, April 11, and May 1. A Public Hearing on the budget will be held on May 15 at a time to be announced.

The county council also approved appointments to the Library Board; Mrs. Alleen Miller, the Hospital Board; Tom Nidiffer, Tim Williams, Dr. B. E. Nicholson, Kenneth Collier, Alva Lewis, Christopher Younce for terms to expire January 9, 2010.

Clerk of Court Shirley Newby submitted a request for the county to provide $7,677.61 for preprinted folders to place judgments and have on file in the Clerk of Court’s Office. The folders are needed for judgments from the years 1933 through 1996, some 14,851 files, and will be moved from the County Archive to the Clerk’s Office. The council voted to approve the funds and to take it from the contingency account.

 
 

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