FCCIA PRESS CONFERENCE - PUBLIC FUNDS SPENT ON PRIVATE PROPERTY
FLORENCE COUNTY COUNCIL TO SPEND $72,630 TO ROOF A LOCAL CHURCH
Ladies and Gentlemen and Members of the Florence County Citizens in Action:
On April 3rd, 2008 at the regularly scheduled Florence County Council meeting, the council members voted unanimously to spend $72,630 dollars of the taxpayers’ money for an expenditure that was not on the agenda. With little discussion or explanation, Mitchell Kirby proposed that each councilman join him with monies from their separate discretionary Infrastructures Funds to finance a new roof for the Boys and Girls Club located in Timmonsville.
Many representatives from the Boys and Girls Club were present in the audience. So, even though, this expenditure was not on the agenda, it had been planned in advance and the recipients had been invited to the meeting. The councilmen of districts 2, Ken Ard; 3, Alphonso Bradley who seconded the motion; 4, Mitchell Kirby; 6, Russell Culberson; 7, Waymon Mumford; and 9, Morris Anderson unanimously agreed to contribute from their individual infrastructure funds a total of $72,630.00. This may appear to be a beneficial way to spend the taxpayers’ money until the facts are examined.
1. Mitchell Kirby is running for re-election. In the past, FCCIA has called for councilmen, who are up for re-election, to suspend spending their discretionary funds during the election cycle. Spending infrastructure money during the election cycle is an obvious advantage to the incumbent.
2. This expenditure was not on the agenda, there was no way for a member of the public to speak pro or con concerning the issue. During the council meeting there was not sufficient explanation as to how or why this money was being spent.
3. This expenditure does not comply with County Council’s own guidelines for the expenditure of their discretionary Infrastructure Funds.
4. This money is being spent to replace the roof on a church. The Timmonsville Boys and Girls Club is housed at 620 N. Brockington St. which is a non-profit corporation named Faith Life Ministries Church. According to the articles of incorporation, the owner of this property is Cardell Wright and his address is 120 Mahogany Ave., Andrews SC.
5. Having set this precedent, of roofing churches, it would appear that every church in Florence County is entitled to its next roof at the expense of the taxpayers. It would appear that every non-profit organization in Florence County is entitled to a roof on the building in which it is housed. Any non-profit organization or church should have the right to demand that Florence County grant them the same benefit.
All of the above are further proof of the abuse of funds, which County Council does not like to have referred to as discretionary funds. The SC Attorney General declared these funds unconstitutional because the expenditures were not voted on at an open meeting. Even after the Attorney General’s opinion, County Council still refused to vote on these funds in open meetings. In 2004, the Florence County Citizens In Action threatened legal action. Only then did council begin voting on the expenditures in open meetings. However, they have a private agreement not to vote against or discuss adversely a fellow councilman’s request. Undemocratically since 2004, every request pertaining to the expenditures of the discretionary funds has passed unanimously.
I have in my hand a copy of the first check, in the amount of $31,493.00, to finance a new roof on the church named Faith Life Ministries Church. We are asking today that this repair work, on private property, be stopped now, before it is too late. We are asking Mitchell Kirby and Florence County Council to reverse this decision.