Edgefield County Council Chairman’s Update

February 6, 2014
First, thanks to the many of you who commented on the State of the County report I issued last month. I appreciate the kind notes and words, and it’s good to know you see how we are continuing to improve our County. It reminds me that one of my jobs is to keep you informed.
Toward that end, I have several items to bring to your attention.
1 Cent Capital Projects Tax Commission Work
I greatly thank our Tax Commission for working diligently to get their work accomplished through public input. Their work isn’t done, but they are making excellent progress. They’ve put together quite a list of items that citizens say they want done. They will be sharing this list publicly, and you can attend their meetings to give them your input as well.
This topic will continue to generate a lot of interest – and it should – because the Commission is meeting about twice a month. (The most recent meeting was February 5.) I encourage you to educate yourself on what they are doing. You can go to the Edgefield County Government website and read the FAQs and see other information on this topic that may be helpful to you.
If you are confused on how this 1 cent sales tax would work or have your doubts about it, I’d love to hear from you. If you better understand the process, the more informed decision you can make. Keep in mind the Commission is in the middle of doing its work, so no final decisions have been made. But now is the time to get involved!
Intergovernmental Meeting Held
Last month, elected bodies and appointed Boards participated in the Edgefield County Intergovernmental Meeting. This is our once-a-year gathering as a group to tell what each group is doing. In addition, we discuss future plans, and how we can better work together.
This meeting is significant in that, as elected and appointed officials, it’s important to know and understand what each of us is doing. We often have to work together on projects, and this meeting gives us a clearer understanding of activities.
I was very pleased by the officials who came out! I thank all who attended.
Budget Time Is Right Around the Corner
Next month, County Council will begin its work on next year’s budget. On March 20, we will hold a budget workshop to discuss the details of each page of the budget. It can be a long meeting for some, but it’s a critical step as we formulate what we should spend in each area of County Government.
As I do every year, I urge you to get involved in County Government, particularly the budget process. Keep in mind that much of what we do is connected to the budget. We want to ensure we are funding areas that are important to you and to keep our county government moving in a direction that ensures we are providing for continued economic development, law enforcement, better roads and a variety of other needs.
We’ll post the draft budget on our website by the time the workshop is held. I hope you’ll take a look at how we propose to spend tax dollars.
Until next time,
Dean Campbell