NEWBERRY COUNTY — Newberry County Council approved a number of amendments, during their May 4 meeting, to the ordinance establishing the 2022-23 budget.
The first amendment was to eliminate the special fund established for Newberry County Parks and Recreation and put it back into the General Fund, this was approved following a motion from Councilperson Les Hipp and seconded by Councilperson Mary Arrowood. This amendment was approved unanimously.
A motion was made by Hipp and seconded by Councilperson Henry Livingston to reduce the information technology budget from contracted services by $39,000 in consideration of approval for an I.T. director, thereby reducing the proposed millage by .25 mills. This amendment was approved unanimously.
A motion by Hipp and seconded by Arrowood to reduce Newberry County Council’s budget by $55,000 by eliminating the proposed parks master plan study, thereby reducing the proposed millage by .3 mills. This amendment was approved unanimously.
A motion by Councilperson Nick Shealy and seconded Hipp was made to reduce Public Works contracted services budget by $16,031 by removing the yard debris container at Seibert Road, this reduced the millage by .1 mills. This amendment was approved unanimously.
Livingston made a motion, seconded by Shealy, to eliminate the $15,000 line item for interns in the Economic Development Department budget and return $44,436 to the personnel line item to maintain the current personnel position. This was an increase of .25 mills to the budget. Hipp abstained from this vote.
Hipp made a motion to reduce the administrator’s budget by $74,804 to provide for one half of a year’s salary for CPA, this motion was seconded by Shealy. This amendment reduces the millage by .47 mills. This amendment was approved unanimously.
Livingston made a motion to utilize $140,000 from available ARP funds in the fiscal year 2023 budget with a one-time $70,000 expenditure to the Solicitor’s Office and a one-time $70,000 expenditure to the Public Defender’s Office, to assist with moving a backlog of court cases due to the closure of courts during the COVID-19 pandemic. This motion was seconded by Arrowood and was approved unanimously. This amendment has no impact on the millage.
Arrowood made a motion to increase the Council on Aging’s budget to $60,000 from $50,000, Livingston provided the second and it was approved unanimously.
The total effect of these combined motions in the originally proposed net 1.5 mill increase is reduced to a .69 mill increase, according to Newberry County administration.
Following the amendments, council unanimously approved the second reading of the 2022-23 budget ordinance. The budget still requires a third reading and a public hearing.
In other items relating to the budget, council approved the second reading of an ordinance providing appropriations for the new fiscal year for the Newberry County Library, Piedmont Technical College and the Newberry Agency for Disabilities and Special Needs. The second reading was approved without objection after Livingston made a motion and Arrowood gave a second.
Other business:
• Council approved amending a resolution honoring law enforcement officers in Newberry County who died in the line of duty, adding to the resolution Henry Bluford, a Newberry Police Department officer who died in 1874.
• Council approved giving countywide elected officials (excluding council members) a 3% cost of living increase, same as their employees, for the new fiscal year.
• Council approved a proclamation naming May 1-7 as Correctional Officers Appreciation Week.
• Council approved a proclamation naming May 15-21 as Public Works Appreciation Week.
• Council approved second reading of an ordinance that establishes minimum rules and regulations to regulate the disposal of garbage, refuse and other trash in Newberry County and providing penalties for violation of the ordinance.
• Council approved a first reading of an ordinance to adopt a false fire alarm ordinance for the county. This ordinance encourages businesses and homeowners to maintain alarm systems properly and provides penalties for violations of the ordinance.
• Council approved a first reading amending Ordinances No. 10-7-19 and 05-16-20 of Newberry County to amend the use of a portion of the proceeds of a General Obligation Bond of Newberry County.
• Council approved a first reading of an ordinance to amend the budget ordinance for the 2021-22 fiscal year to provide for revised revenue and expenditure appropriations for a firetruck.
This story has been edited to reflect the net mill increase of .69, originally the increase of the Council on Aging was not calculated into the net. Newberry County administration contacted The Observer to correct the millage.
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