Another horrific incident led S.C. Rep. Wendell Gilliard to do what he’s done many times in career: bemoan the continuing scourge of gun violence and call for change. This time, the spark was the recent assassination attempt on former President Donald Trump, which rocked both red and blue America. Something Charleston’s Gilliard said stood out. […]
Letter: Council Lacks Process, Leadership in Setting Budget
We the citizens of Fairfield County were given a new budget on June 24 after the third reading of the ordinance. It was at this time, just six days before the new fiscal year, that council attempted to deal with the low salaries being paid to our Sheriff’s deputies. I was very disappointed no council […]
Letter: Government Secrecy is Damaging County
It’s clear, this council has erected a negative public image and trust wall with its deliberate actions to block transparency. In addition to its previous barriers, like not promptly informing the public about multi-million dollar financial mishaps and a secretive botched administrator search, council effectively ensured the public was prevented from having access to budget […]
Letter: Thank You Fairfield County 911 and EMS
I want to express my deepest gratitude and appreciation for the incredible work you do every day. In particular the service you provided when called to address an emergency with my loved one. You were responsive, timely, knowledgeable, and very respectful. Your dedication, bravery, and selflessness in serving and protecting our communities in Fairfield […]
Letter: Sometimes Feedback Backfires
At the most recent regular meeting on June 10th, I received feedback after speaking about the draft budget for FY2024-25. Based on financial information on the county website, we were $4 million underspent to the current budget through May, and I suggested that several million dollars might be available to put into reserve and that […]
Guest Editorial: County financials seriously flawed
As one of the best funded (per capita), poorly managed counties in the state, where are we headed? Council must make a 180-degree turnaround before July 1 to ensure a citizen- centric 2024-25 budget. That turnaround includes quickly embracing transparency, prioritizing first responders and the horrific dungeon we call the county animal shelter and repairing […]
Letter: County’s Leadership has Led Us into Stagnation
Fairfield County residents frequently express concerns about the leadership of the county council. There have been consistent reports of certain challenges, such as the handling of citizens’ concerns and opposing viewpoints. These unmet challenges have impacted the county’s ability to effectively address its debts, fines, declining essential services, lack of economic growth, and overt mismanagement […]
Letter: Why is Fairfield County Struggling if it’s Under Budget by $5.9M?
Our leaders in the sheriff’s, EMS and fire departments need financial help from council. Salaries for the talented professionals needed to provide emergency services have fallen behind other county and state departments. Many of our emergency vehicles are old with high mileage and we haven’t invested enough over the years to upgrade or replace them. […]
Letter: Overture Walker will be good for Blythewood
On Tuesday, June 11th, Blythewood heads to the polls for various primaries. This distinctly American privilege is not one we should take lightly, and everyone in Blythewood should be voting on Tuesday. But let’s face it, there are some primaries that carry more weight than others, and one such primary is the Democratic primary for […]
Letter: Public’s Concern Disregarded
Your county council chairman has repeatedly voted for council meeting agendas that violate county bylaws, starting from 9/11/23. According to the chairman, the council decided to eliminate the second public comment session without a public vote, contravening the SC Freedom of Information Act, as well as the county’s on bylaws. This disregard for the public’s concern […]