Just a
reminder: The County Council will meet Monday at 6:30PM. The budget
for 2016-17 will get its first reading. You need to understand that there
is a new jail being considered and God knows how much the Council will
want to spend on that. The way I read the SC Constitution is that
Pickens County can borrow 8% of the value of the property in Pickens
County, but some people on the Council believe that every political
subdivision in the county can borrow the 8%. This would mean another $35
or so million dollars the County can borrow. Mind you: There are some
balloon payments coming due on the new school construction. Seeing
these facts and conditions, it is recognized that the County Council used
to be responsible for all school buildings and new construction, so the
intent of the law was to allow only 8%. So 16 % plus balloon payments,
if any, would mean a large tax increase. The cities could then add 8%
under this thinking for a total of 24% of bonded indebtedness. The
Council has seen fit to spend lots of money on recreation that does not
benefit the citizens in the county but only those that live in the
cities.
Another
factor involving the construction of a jail is that the cities use the
county jail and pay a fee that does not meet expenses and construction
costs. In my opinion, there should be a calculation to see how much
each entity has used the facilities over the past five years or so and
the cities should pay for that much of the new construction with the
county paying for county housing only. There is no incentive for the
cities to reduce crime when they can send the problem to the County and
for a fee get rid of the problem.
The
judicial system in Pickens County has been a failure in moving out
inmates for trial. This is costing Pickens County a fortune and is
unconstitutional in that people accused of a crime should be
expeditiously tried under the 6th Constitutional amendment.
My
last comment is that all these taxes have impeded the economic growth
of Pickens County, and there has been very little economic growth over
the past 5 years. The school population has grown so little that some
schools are now being closed for lack of population of students.
Please come and make your thoughts known.
Junius Smith
President, Conservatives of the UpstateMonday April 4, 2016 6:30PM
County Admin Building / Auditorium
222 McDaniel Ave
Pickens Sc 29671
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