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THURSDAY. OCTOBER 28. 2021 PICKENS COUNTY PROGRESS PAGE 11A
Proposals
ices was a software program
for the mapping system, but
the others are fairly insignif
icant increases considering
the amount of work they had
(to) come up this year.”
Tax Commissioner
Commissioner Daniel
Reeves was asked by Denney
if his proposed 5% salary in
crease was across the board,
and he answered that was
correct.
Stancil said, “What we're
trying to do is a flat COLA
(cost of living adjustment)
for areas under the board's
control. So we're trying our
best to get to where there's a
flat percentage, so instead of
having it back and forth ...
that 5% is our long-range
goal of where we try to find
a way to get everybody in.”
“Last year, we only asked
for a 2.5 (% increase),”
Reeves said. “So we went
with a 5 (%) this year, and of
course, we put on the back
why we feel some of that is,
just to show you what's done
in the office there. In the last
12 months, (the staff) did
57,837 motor-vehicle trans
actions, 31,730 property
transactions (and) 31,200
phone calls answered for a
total of $48,109,352 (that)
went through their hands.
And so, we've still got some
folks back there that make
under $ 15 an hour. We just
feel like with the work they
do, the training that they have
to do, classes, we have to do
monthly webinars, they have
to keep up with state laws,
county code and all of that.
They have to know a lot of
these things - it's not just data
entry and taking a payment
... they should be able to get
that (5%) raise.”
Also budgeted were
postage cost increases for
sending out 36,000 renewal
notices for car tags, property
taxes and items that need to
be remailed, Reeves added.
Denney agreed each em
ployee should be “uni
formed” since they represent
the county to the public.
Reeves said two employees
were left out of receiving uni
forms (shirts) in last year's
budget.
Sheriffs Office
Sheriff Donnie Craig ap
peared with his office's Fi
nance Director Miranda
McDowell, and said a budget
breakdown included a total
of $43,000 additional for uni
formed patrol; $72,400 for
the SRO (school resource of
ficer) budget; a technical
services increase of $13,000
as an offset from last year's
cuts in technology; and an
overall tire increase to
$3,787.
“Gas and oil, we've been
able to reduce that by
$13,500,” Craig said. “Other
purchased services - $8,700,
that is $8,200 in uniformed
patrol. That includes our
'Linxup' which gives us the
GPS tracking for each of our
vehicles, as well as several
other smaller vendors that we
pay out of that. Utilities were
decreased by $7,600, travel
decreased by $1,500, our
drug-test kits decreased by
$3,000, and then our medical
supplies we cut by $3,000.”
Overall, the sheriffs office
is requesting an $81,287 in
crease, or just 1.1%, said Mc
Dowell.
Denney remarked that the
office has had an issue with
overtime “for some time -
are you just trying to get it
where it needs to be?”
“To get it back in line,”
Craig confirmed. “We in
creased it last year, which has
helped tremendously. But
again, when you look at our
overtime that's requested for
the overall agency, it takes -
just to do the mandatory
training - $116,000
they're having to do it after
hours or come in on their off
time to do that training.”
Craig told Denney he did
not put in an increase in
salaries, and she reiterated
the county is trying to get the
5% increase “across the
board.”
Stancil mentioned, “After
today, we'll be able to run the
numbers to start pulling once
we know what other in
creases everybody had to
have. Until we knew that
number, we couldn't see how
much was there.”
District Attorney
DA Alison Sosebee noted
in her revised budget request
she has “additional sources of
funding.”
Bryant seeks
re-election for Talking
Rock Council
James Bryant, Jr.
My name is James W.
Bryant, Jr and I am running
as the incumbent Council
man, Post 4 for the town of
Talking Rock. My wife, Jene
and I have lived in Talking
Rock since 2012. We have
three wonderful children and
I have proudly served on the
Town Council for four years.
In addition, I served 28 years
in the United States Army
and have lived in numerous
states and overseas. I honor
ably retired in 2015.
Originally from southwest
Virginia, I was bom and
raised in a community much
like the surrounding areas in
Pickens County. Jene and I
fell in love with Talking
Rock from the first day we
moved here and have spent
the past 10 years getting in
volved with the surrounding
communities. Like most of
the people we have met, I am
proud to be a part of this
community and want to en
sure continued stability and
growth for the town of Talk
ing Rock and Pickens
County.
I have been honored to
serve my community and I
am amazed by so many peo
ple that have embraced our
family since serving on the
town council. Throughout the
years of my tenure, I have
been able to help expand and
improve in many areas for
the benefit of Talking Rock
while navigating through a
political landscape chal
lenged with personal agen
das. As a representative of
our town and community, I
will continue to safeguard the
citizens of Talking Rock by
ensuring they are represented
with fairness, honesty, and
integrity. As a town council
member, I will ensure that we
are managing the town in the
most economically responsi
ble manner and continue to
support growth while main
taining the historic and quaint
atmosphere that is unique to
the town of Talking Rock.
I pledge that I will con
tinue to assist and provide
oversight and resources for
the operations of our town
council. I will ensure we are
adequately carrying out the
functions of the town council
as stated in the by-laws and
will attend meetings of the
town council and oversight
committees as expected. I
will come prepared to discuss
the issues and business to be
addressed at those meetings.
I will continue to work with
and respect my fellow town
council members and to
leave my personal prejudices
and agendas out of all town
council discussions. Lastly, I
will continue to observe
meeting procedures and dis
play courteous conduct in all
council and any additional
committee meetings.
Thank you for your con
sideration.
“We are alloted 'x number'
of state positions, and are al
located on a circuit-wide
basis of two admin, one in
vestigator position, currently
now seven ADA (assistant
district attorney) positions,
and then, of course, my posi
tion,” she began. “Those are
completely budget-neutral
from a county's standpoint.
So that doesn't cost the coun
ties anything at all. What I've
tried to do is get a layout of
how each county office is
structured so you can see
where each employee is lo
cated and what employees
provide services to each
county - because some em
ployees provide services on a
circuit-wide basis, for exam
ple.”
Sosebee went on to say
“spacer positions” are classi
fied as state employees who
are paid by the Prosecuting
Attorneys Council, which
then bills the counties so they
are a spacer for “state paid,
county reimbursed” status.
There are also employees
who work directly for the re
spective counties, and indi
viduals receiving
supplements. As well, there
are “county-paid, grant-reim
bursed” employees such as
victim advocates.
The Covid pandemic has
resulted in limited court ap
pearances, allowing opera
tions with less staff than
normal.
“We have, however, been
opening the same number of
cases between 2019, 2020
and 2021,” Sosebee revealed.
“Our case rate is not decreas
ing, but our closure rate has
decreased substantially since
we are limited when we do
go into court.”
She made a request for an
additional ADA position, but
added, “Even with that in
cluded position, my budget
request is less than what my
approved budget was last
year.” Sosebee said Covid
funds from the feds of
$25,000 helped purchase
computers and other new
equipment at “no cost” to the
counties.
Stancil asked if a COLA
increase had been factored
into the budget, and Sosebee
replied she left that request
“neutral,” but asked that her
Pickens County employees
be able to receive any of the
funds the board decides to
allot. She also said the sher
iffs office had helped guide
them to purchase good used
vehicles from other law en
forcement agencies to replace
aging vehicles.
Airport
Manager Randy Thoma
son quipped, “No changes,
more money, looks better,
new hangars, a lot of changes
- but it's all zero sum.”
“Actually, we're trying to
register about a $200,000
profit next year,” he said, pri
marily because of opening
hangars for 27 new aircraft.
“I'm going to have to order
$60,000 worth of fuel in the
next three days, so our fuel is
even going up higher and
faster and better (for profit in
resale). Our jet traffic has
quadrupled over the last cou
ple of years; in fact, I've got
two jets coming in today
(and) over 1,200 gallons of
fuel going out.”
The budget includes the
cost of building a new FBO
(fixed base of operations)
next year around Christmas
with “more grass to cut (and)
more facilities to maintain.”
The airport's growth has in
creased payroll expenses
with the planned employ
ment of three to five people.
Thomason said the changes
will expand the airport's ca
pacity to around 110 aircraft,
pushing the facility to No. 8
in size among county air
ports.
Probate Court
Judge David Lindsey ex
plained he did not factor in a
COLA increase in the salary
line item questioned by Stan
cil.
“What that reflects is my
statutory increase for
longevity,” he said.
“Stephanie Duncan hits her
four-year anniversary, which
basically makes her able to
act in uncontested matters as
a judge, which is going to be
super helpful. She can sign
uncontested pleadings and
stuff when I'm not there. So
she's entitled to a raise from
that ... (the budget) is pretty
much what it was from last
year, other than that salary
mentioned.”
Stancil asked about some
of the probate fees, and Lind
sey responded he expected
the office to get back to pre-
Covid levels and “maybe
more as the population
grows.”
“The more people that
live, the more people that un
fortunately go (die), so that's
where most of our fees come
from,” Lindsey explained.
“The strange part is the traf
fic - fines and forfeitures ac
tually remained fairly (the
same) .. .1 can't really explain
that other than we weren't
able to have a lot of court
(and) I guess people are just
paying their citations rather
than coming in and fighting
them.”
Economic Development
Director Green Suttles
noted a budget that was cre
ated before he was hired “has
never actually been exercised
in two years” because of
Covid restrictions including
travel to training events.
“It appears to be [ade
quate], but we just don't
know. (FY) 22 appears to be
the first year we'll see if it re
ally works in the real world
... actually, there's very little
in changes. This is a reflec
tion of the original plan, al
most verbatim. - with the
exception of the COLA.”
The three segments of the
budget are outlays for him as
director, Suttles said, a dis
cretionary budget of around
$40,000 and a line item of
$10,000 based on economic
development board approval.
Suttles asked Stancil if his
budget could be shared with
the Jasper City Council and
mayor to promote “esprit de
corps” between the govern
ment entities, and Stancil
replied that he would share
the figures.
Separate department
budget dollar amounts were
not announced, and Stancil
told a reporter he could not
project a total FY22 budget
figure until the commission
looked over the numbers
given that day. In a follow-up
email, Bunch said the
FY2021 budget is a bit over
$29.17 million, and that the
commission office's budget
amount itself is $186,962.
When asked if the pro
jected 5% salary increase for
county employees is due to
federal Covid funds, she re
sponded, “We are still in the
process of determining if any
increase will be given, and
these funds are not related to
Covid-19 funding.”
Despite reported low voter
turnout, Nelson candidates
forum suggests high interest
Nelson City Council candidates fielded questions at a forum held last Monday night.
Pictured, left to right, are Michael Brown, William Taylor, and incumbent James Queen.
Not pictured is Terry Johnson who was unable to attend.
By Larry Cavender
Progress Contributor
Barely one week before
the Tuesday, Nov. 2nd elec
tions, a political forum of
Nelson City Council candi
dates drew a large number of
interested voters. The forum,
the first ever candidates
forum for the city, was held
at the Nelson City Hall on the
evening of Monday, Oct.
25th and was sponsored by
the newly-organized civic or
ganization, Beautiful Nelson.
Four candidates are seek
ing two at-large council
seats: Michael Brown; Terry
Johnson; incumbent, James
Queen; and William Taylor.
The two candidates with the
largest vote totals will be
Mayor Sylvia Green is
running unopposed. Council
members David Hamby,
Nathan Hamby, and Martha
Tipton will continue to serve
because their terms do not
expire this year.
Before fielding questions,
Mayor Green and council
candidates Brown, Taylor,
and Queen were given an op
portunity to address the near
capacity crowd. (Candidate
Terry Johnson was unable to
attend.)
In her comments, Green
said, "I am not a politician,"
and she repeated what she
has often said in council
meetings during her first term
- "I ran as a voice of the peo
ple." She pledged to continue
to serve by hoping to invest
the large amount of unused
SPLOST funds into commu
nity projects.
Queen, who has served on
the council for two decades,
said, "This is the last time I'm
running. I've been here long
enough," but he added,
"We've done a lot of good
since I've been here."
Alluding to the recent di
visiveness within the current
council, Brown said, "We're
using City Hall to settle per
sonal vendettas. There are too
many personal feelings in
volved."
A native of Canton who
has lived in Nelson for sev
eral years, and noting that he
had worked in the Nelson
marble mill in the 1980s,
Taylor said, "I love this
town." He continued by say
ing, "We're supposed to make
decisions based on bettering
our citizens."
Billed as a "great civics
lesson" by the forum organ
izers, children were encour
aged to attend and over a
dozen students from the com
munity's Ahlberg Academy
took that encouragement to
heart. The young people from
the private Christian school
came prepared with well-re-
searched and thought-out
questions. The moderator al
ternated questions from the
adults and the children.
The adults questioned the
candidates on topics from de
velopment, industry, retail,
and term limits. One of the
more contentious questions
was presented by council
member Susan Johnston who
asked their thoughts on mul
tiple family members serving
simultaneously on the coun
cil. Her question was an ob
vious jab at David and
Nathan Hamby with whom
she often differed on many
issues.
Brown responded by say
ing, "I don't see a problem,"
and Taylor concurred saying,
"There is no problem as long
as the people elected them. If
the people don't like it, they
can vote them out of office."
James Queen, offering an op
posing view, said that he had
"concerns" about the situa
tion.
As could be expected, the
students were interested in
parks and recreation but also
asked about the candidates'
background, qualifications,
and charity work. Perhaps the
most provocative question of
the evening was posed by
one of the young Ahlberg stu
dents who pointedly asked
the candidates if they had
done "any jail time." Taylor
grinned and said he had made
it as far as a "holding cell"
because of "excessive speed
ing" during his youth. Queen,
looking pensive, replied sim
ply and briefly, "Yes," which
brought muffled laughter
from the crowd and after a
few seconds Queen added,
"But that was many years
ago."
One member of the audi
ence, obviously disturbed by
an answer offered by Brown,
stormed to the front of the
room to confront the candi
date. In a lengthy series of
heated comments, Anthony
Simpson, a long-time resi
dent of Nelson, accused
Brown of ill-treatment to a
portion of the community.
Simpson passionately
pleaded with the townspeo
ple "not to vote for this man."
During Simpson's ha
rangue, Brown said, "It's a
lie."
Despite the high emo
tions, Nelson early voting has
been light. In last week's edi
tion of the Pickens County
Progress, Pickens County
Elections Supervisor Stacey
Godfrey reported that in the
first week-and-a-half of early
voting, only one of Nelson's
854 registered voters had cast
their ballots.
See voting information
in story on Page 1A.
S-I
In her comments at last
Monday’s Nelson candidates
forum, Mayor Sylvia Green,
who is running unopposed,
said, "I am not a politician,"
and referring to when she
ran for her first term four
years ago, she added, "I ran
as a voice of the people."