The “Christmas present” Whitmire was hoping for arrived yesterday morning from Gov. Mark Sanford’s office with a letter announcing the town would get a $370,000 grant for its sewer pump station replacement.

“They did a good job,” said Town Mayor Tim Carroll yesterday. “They gave us a good Christmas present.”

The Ready to Go Grant is federal money funneled through the state’s Commerce Department to Whitmire. Whitmire paid around $35,000 for the grant’s required engineering work. The town began working on the application for the grant in the spring.

The outdated pump behind the golf course serves the north half of the town, says Carroll, and was costing “a good bit of money to keep up.”

Though the mayor thinks few residents will notice the effects of a new sewer pump, the town’s financial folks see savings down the road.

“I’m glad we’re getting it,” he said. “In the long run, it’ll save us money.”

This grant is the fourth the town has received since summer, together totaling $1,066,269.