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Amendment to budget to fund employee healthcare shot down by 3-2 vote in work session web posted April 22, 2009 EDGEFIELD – The Edgefield County Council held their second budget workshop Tuesday night with a string of representatives of organizations requesting funding, most of whom have been cut from the budget completely due to lack of available revenues. The budget is balanced in its current form, but leaves county employees paying a portion of their insurance costs. Councilwoman Genia Blackwell offered an amendment to the budget, which is also balanced, with the insurance remaining free for employees. “I think we do have a responsibility to the agreement they had (for paid insurance) when they were hired,” Blackwell said. Councilman Dorn balked at Councilwoman Blackwell’s proposal and questioned who gets to write the budget. Administrator John Pettigrew started that the five members of the county council are the ones who make the decisions to cut or add funding for the budget. “Which five is that,” Dorn asked, “because sometimes I don’t think I’m on the council.” Councilman Dorn has not offered any alternatives to the budget process except to add $17,500 in funding for the Civic League, which resulted in a tax increase. Mr. Pettigrew explained that Councilwoman Blackwell, later joined by Councilman Ashcraft, spoke with staff they met with department heads and encouraged additional cuts to help offset the cost of the insurance funding and was successful in obtaining further cuts that would not affect the operation of government offices. Chief Magistrate Davis Parkman rose earlier in the meeting to say that his office had been approached and offered additional cuts in funding to his department totaling $1,000. The proposed budget amendment would cut recreation for the largest portion of the funds (around $60,000) followed by cutting all funding to Piedmont Tech (roughly $44,000), removing funds for the Civic League and reductions in several other departments and would not raise taxes. Councilman Ashcraft stated that what the current budget proposes is to “tax our employees” to balance the budget or tax the citizens more, “and we decided to do neither.” The proposal was shot down by a vote of 3-2 with Blackwell and Ashcraft supporting the amended budget and Kneece, Bright, and Dorn opposing. Under the current budget containing Dorn’s amendment taxes will be raised to provide the funds to give to the Edgefield Civic League. Chairman Kneece stated, “We do need to work on something,” to which Councilwoman Blackwell stated, “We do need to work on something to give some relief to these employees.” Prompted by a question by Edgefield Mayor Durham if funding for PTC was cut, Mr. Jim Clyburn (PTC) stated that if their funding was cut below the $42,000 level the Edgefield campus would most likely be closed. Only 5.46% of students PTC has registered are from Edgefield County. Clyburn also stated during the meeting that local students could actually attend technical college in Augusta cheaper than they could at the Edgefield campus of PTC. Magistrate Judge Brenda Carpenter rose to speak and stated that she did not see the need of the workshops if, as Chairman Kneece and Vice-chairman Willie Bright alluded to not knowing what the total amount of revenues would be available by the time the state budget was approved, “I don’t see where all these ifs ands or buts are helping anything.” Chairman Kneece stated he agreed and that he supports not making any changes until the final reading in June. Judge Carpenter went on to say, “I think the (Blackwell) amendment is trying to start someplace, thank goodness we have a woman up here.” Carpenter said, “I thank Mrs. Blackwell for looking through all this and trying to find something to help them (county employees) out because I feel like they’ve been overlooked.” Johnston Mayor Willie Campbell rose at the end of the meeting to ask that the county council consider replacing the $1,000 for the Johnston Library. With no other business the meeting was adjourned. © Copyright 2009
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