Florence County Citizens In Action

OPEN GOVERNMENT PLAYS NO PART IN DECISION

After six weeks, on May 1, 2008, Florence County Councilman James Schofield broke the silence surrounding the citizens’ petition to lower the countywide Road System Maintenance Fee.  The petition which had been signed by 11,000 citizens was submitted to the Clerk of County Council on March 20th.

In an address that lasted twenty-five minutes, Schofield announced that a court of law would have to decide the matter. Mr. Schofield stated that appropriations cannot be repealed by petition.

 At the April 17, 2008 meeting of Florence County Council, an ordinance (Ordinance 26-2007-207/8) to reduce the county’s interest rate on existing Certificates of Participation was introduced. But, this wasn’t the whole story. What was left out of the written ordinance was the fact that 4.5 million dollars was added on to the debt to fund optional projects favored by some of the councilmen.