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Jan 22, 2024

Richland County Council approves final amendments to FY 2023

By [email protected] | on June

By [email protected] | on June 08, 2023

Richland County Council met on Tuesday, June 7, in council chambers in the Richland County administration building. The meeting was also livestreamed on Facebook and the Richland County YouTube Channel.

The following members were present: Council member Jason Branham (District 1), Council member Derrek Pugh (District 2), Council member Yvonne McBride (District 3), Council member Paul Livingston (District 4), Council member Allison Terracio (District 5), Council member Don Weaver (District 6), Council member Gretchen Barron (District 7), Chair Overture Walker (District 8), Vice Chair Jesica Mackey (District 9), and Council member Cheryl English (District 10). Council member Chakisse Newton (District 11) participated in the meeting virtually via Zoom.

The invocation was led by Council member English and the Pledge of Allegiance was led by Vice Chair Mackey.

The following was approved by the council: a proclamation recognizing June as National Safety Month, a proclamation recognizing Harvest Hope Food Bank and Declaring June as National Hunger Awareness Month, a proclamation recognizing County Environmental Education Analyst Chanda Cooper, a proclamation recognizing Westwood High School girls’ track and field team, and a proclamation recognizing Blythewood girls’ track and field team.

The minutes from the FY 23-24 budget public hearing on May 11 were approved. The minutes from the regular session on May 16 were approved. The minutes from the zoning public hearing on May 23 were approved. The minutes from the special called meeting- FY 23-24 budget–– second reading on May 25 were approved.

All consent items on the agenda were approved.

The final reading of the FY 23-24 budget was approved after debate and with amendments to several motions in the FY 23- 24 Budget. Council member Livingston expressed his concern the county budget is based upon a set millage for millage agencies. He said those agencies or departments that incur a decrease in their annual budget should be granted special consideration because of various factors that affect their budgets and also because of the importance of their service to the people of Richland County. The funding for Midlands Technical College and Richland District One were increased by an increase in the millage rate by vote of the council. This translates into a tax increase for the people of Richland County.

Issues discussed in this final debate on the FY 23-24 budget by council members included tax increases, the county's AAA credit rating, funding public education to prepare the workforce for the economic development projects that the county is seeking to attract, and fiscal responsibility.

Council member Barron provided the report from the Rules & Appointments committee which recommended that S. Blakely Copeland Cahoon and Mandy Lautzenheiser be appointed to the Board of Zoning Appeals. It also recommended Eileen Kershaw, Danielle Diaz, and Harry Plexico be appointed to the Midlands Workforce Development board. The recommendations of the committee were approved by council.

The following Hospitality Tax allocations were approved by council: District 6—Carolina Therapeutic Riding ($6,150), District 11––Kingville Historical Foundation ($1,000), Town of Eastover ($13,000), SC Philharmonic ($5,000), and $5,000 Columbia Classical Ballet.

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