Florence County Citizens In Action

Ladies and gentlemen and members of The Florence County Citizens In Action, thank you for being here today.

On March 20, 2008 petitions signed by over 11,000 citizens of Florence County were delivered to the Clerk of Florence County Council. That was three weeks ago and as far as we know, this mandate from the public has not been acknowledged or discussed by the members of council at an open meeting

The Florence County Citizens In Action is a an organization founded to promote open government. Each year FCCIA presents the prestigious Open Government Award to a citizen of Florence County who has done the most to foster open government in the County. The 2007 award was presented to past FCCIA chairman, Lou Vause at the September 20 meeting .

The identify of the recipient is kept secret each year. “This year it was particularly difficult to keep the name secret, as Lou is serving as vice chairman.” said Licia Stone, FCCIA , chairman. “But somehow we managed to do it and I think Lou was completely caught off guard.”

A Florence County organization says the county council should have publicly discussed raises the council received as a result of the 2006-07 fiscal year’s budgetary process.
County administrator Richard Starks said the county published the information about the raises in its budget ordinances. He said the budget also was available for public review at the county library and was discussed at council work sessions.
“The information was out there; it was readily available,” Starks said.
The group is not saying the council chairman or council members don’t deserve raises, said Licia Stone, chairwoman of the Florence County Citizens in Action watchdog group.
“We are saying that in the interest of open government, the public should know,” she said. “When councilmen use the tax money or appropriate additional tax money for personal reasons, such as raising their own salaries, there should be public discussion.”
The council’s chairman received a 40 percent pay increase and the council members received a 25 percent raise. Both are taking effect in two parts — the first installment came in January, while the second will take effect next January.
Starks said that not just council members, but all elected county officials, received a raise.
“They didn’t treat themselves any differently” than other county officials, Starks said.
The pay increases resulted from consultants’ review of all elected officials’ salaries, prompted by the threat of a lawsuit by some county officials in 2005, Starks said.
The county faced a $3.8 million budgetary shortfall during the previous fiscal year’s budgetary process.
Starks said that while the county council’s 40 percent and 25 percent raises might seem high, a 10 percent raise on another official’s $70,000 salary is worth a lot more.
The chairman’s pay will increase by $5,000 to $17,400 a year, while council members’ pay will rise $3,000 to $15,049.
Starks described the pay as essentially a “stipend” to offset expenses such as gasoline and phone bills incurred while handling council business.
He also said records showed that the council hadn’t had any pay raises other than cost-of-living increases for the past 25 years.
Councilman Morris Anderson said council wasn’t “fishing for a raise.”
“I did not seek this office to make money,” he said.
Council chairman Rusty Smith said he things Florence County has “the most open government of any government in the state.”
Council vice chairman Waymon Mumford said the council followed state law by not taking the first part of the raise until after the November 2006 election.
“This was something that we wanted to make sure was done right and proper,” he said.