Council approves FY 21-22 budget

NEWBERRY COUNTY — Newberry County Council has approved third, and final, reading of the fiscal year 2021-22 budget, with amendments.

A series of amendments were brought to a vote prior to the third reading of the budget. The first was to distribute the budgeting funding of $232,000 as a cost-of-living adjustment of two percent for all county employees and allow staff to distribute the associated benefit costs and make the necessary line-item adjustments. This amendment does not change the total budget.

This amendment was approved after Councilperson Todd Johnson made a motion and Councilperson Mary Arrowood seconded.

The next amendment increased the salaries for elected and appointed officials by two percent, this amendment does not include members of Newberry County Council. This amendment was approved after a motion was made by Arrowood and seconded by Councilperson Travis Reeder. This amendment does not change the total budget.

The next amendment would decrease the revenue line item for the Mid-Carolina Commerce Park FILOT from $450,769 to zero and decrease the expenditure, Economic Development-Mid-Carolina Commerce Park – FILOT from $450,769 to zero. This was approved after Councilperson Les Hipp made a motion and Arrowood seconded.

This amendment decreases the total budget revenues and expenditures from $27,678,608 to $27,227,839.

The next amendment would authorize staff to adjust the fiscal year 2021-22 budget revenues and expenditures for capital projects to reflect actual progress to date at the time of the budget’s publication. This amendment was approved after Hipp made a motion and Councilperson Johnny Mack Scurry gave a second.

Hipp made a motion to decrease the expenditure, Animal Control Spay and Neuter from $75,000 to $50,000 and increase Council Contingency from $133,923 to $158,923. However, this amendment failed.

Hipp said he wanted to make this change in the budget after he looked at the history of the spay and neuter program.

“I was on council at the time when it was initiated. I looked at the 2017-18 budget, and it was $40,000. Here we are, four years later, and we are almost 100% higher for an item that, when it was first brought up, was intended to decrease if the program was working, fewer animals to spay and neuter,” he said.

Johnson said that while he agreed with Hipp’s logic, he said the shelter is already overwhelmed and is no longer taking cats and he was afraid the victim of this decrease would be Newberry County neighborhoods.

Councilperson Henry Livingston said he would hate to make the decrease after they’ve already had a second reading and the public hearing for the budget.

“I would rather us zero in on this one next year. I’d hate to set a precedent to do this after second reading and public hearing,” he said.

Reeder, Hipp and Councilperson Nick Shealy voted for the amendment and Scurry, Arrowood, Johnson and Livingston voted against.

The budget was then approved, as amended, after Hipp made a motion and Arrowood seconded.

Council also approved third reading for the Community Services levy, providing funding for the Newberry County Library, Piedmont Technical College and the Newberry Agency for Disabilities and Special Needs. This budget totals $1,308,160.

Other business:

• Council approved a memorandum of understanding with Upper Savannah Workforce Area (S.C. Works system).

• Council approved a third reading of an ordinance declaring Newberry County as a sanctuary county for Second Amendment rights.

• Council approved upgrading the network core switches for the Newberry County Sheriff’s Department in the amount of $63,712.21.

• Council approved a bid from Vector for the county fleet maintenance and management contract.

• Following executive session, council voted to authorize the chairperson (Livingston) to enter into an agreement to retain an interim county administrator. They also authorized Livingston to enter into an agreement to provide for a search for a full time county administrator.