The first of three required budget votes was approved at last night’s County Council meeting. As usual, Ordinance 788 was approved with understanding that a lot of adjustments are still to be made prior to final reading. The budget is starting with a general fund of $21.7 million. With the addition of just under $3.5 million for EMS plus additional funds for Solid Waste and Victim’s Assistance, the initial numbers reach over $27.3 million.
Councilman Stuart Jones was the sole opposing vote for the budget, saying that district 4 did not send him to council to continue business as usual. Jones even broke from the rest of council on a Resolution that was approved to declare April as “Fair Housing Month.” Jones told WLBG News that he fully endorses fair housing, but objects to the amount Housing and Urban Development spends each month. He referred to the HUD spending as “income redistribution.”
The annual resolution declaring “Fair Housing Month” is a requirement for County Council to apply for a Community Development Block Grants, obtaining federal funds for local projects.
Jones also voted no to an ordinance amending the Local Option Sales Tax. The ordinance is to apply a portion of the local county sales tax to fund the general budget for the new fiscal year, due to budget shortfalls from the current mileage rate.
Also last night, on the eve of today’s annual national tax deadline, Stuart Jones announced he wanted to read a list of “just how many various taxes and fees American currently pay.” He went on to read a list of 100 items.
Laurens County Council Tuesday night approved a designation needed to receive future state and federal funding. Sandra Johnson, who is Workforce Development Administrator of the Upper Savannah Council of Governments, presented a petition to Council that she said council needs to approve before any federal or state funding can be granted. This requirement of local counties, she noted, is required by the July, 2014 Federal Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. Council then approved the “Workforce Development Area Designation Petition and consortium Agreement.
Council approved the petition with Councilman Jones abstaining, saying he needed more time to research the matter.