ANDERSON COUNTY — Anderson County Council members voted Tuesday to wait until the Nov. 17 meeting for a public hearing on whether to adopt a series of measures that would tighten the county’s travel and reimbursement policies.
Council Chairman Eddie Moore said he wanted to authorize the county attorney to make changes that would give each council member an equal allowance for travel expenses and any excess travel would need approval from a majority of the council.
“We found a little glitch that needs to be tightened up,” council member Tommy Dunn said.
Council member Gracie Floyd had previously objected to the proposed changes, which would have given only the council chairman or vice chairman authority to approve travel expenses.
Moore asked the attorney to change the language to include equal allowances and majority approval for amounts more than the allowance.
Floyd then asked the county attorney to draft language that would ask council members to give up their travel funds.
No vote was taken on the proposals, which will likely be brought back up on Nov. 17.
Dunn said that instead of removing travel money, council members should not ask for it.
“I haven’t spent a dime and haven’t asked for none,” Dunn said. “Just don’t take it and spend it.”
Floyd said she has not requested travel money since around Dec. 15, 2008.
Floyd, Moore and council member Bob Waldrep were reimbursed for travel to a South Carolina Association of Counties meeting in Myrtle Beach this summer.
In other business, the council voted on seeking a new contract for hauling waste. The matter was not included in the agenda packet that was made available to residents and council members prior to the meeting.
Environmental Services director Greg Smith said the current contract is about $950,000 per year.
Purchasing director Robert Carroll said he gave each council member a list of the additional items right before the meeting and the new items or changes happened after the packets had been prepared last week.
Floyd said she did not have time to make an informed vote.
“How can I make a decision when I don’t have all the accurate information,” she said.
“Vote no,” Moore said.
Floyd voted in favor of seeking a bid for hauling waste and the proposal passed unanimously.
The council also:
- Voted to accept four subdivision roads into the county road system. The county has inspected the roads and determined they are up to standards, interim planning director Bill West said. The votes were unanimous, but council member Cindy Wilson did not vote for one saying there was a conflict of interest.
- Voted unanimously to reauthorize a tax agreement with two BMW-affiliated companies in Anderson County. Inergy and Mergon Corporation store equipment for the automobile manufacturer in Greer.
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Comments » 16
SSHM writes:
This ordinance cannot be enacted soon enough. Ms. Floyd loves showboating around at these remote functions, like a queen bee, at the taxpayers expense. She says she has not made a claim for travel since last year. What is disingenuous about that statement? It is designed to make people believe she won't file to be compensated for her travels. She may have better said, "I have not filed for travel...YET." My guess would be she has held off filing for reimbursement for expenses so they cannot be scrutinized too closely at a touchy time.
So Gracie, are you going to make the commitment to the taxpayer that you are NOT EVER going to file for reimbursement of any of your travel expenses this year? Hmmmmmmmm? That is what you lead us to believe. Or was that some of your double speak intended to make people believe you are thinking of them when you have made all these trips on the county dollar?
Your staunch supporters the Montepara's, claimed to have never received a dime from the county coffers either. County records of an incident has surfaced, which appears to refute that claim.
http://theelectriccitybuzz.lefora.com...
Apparently others have memories sufficient to understand why this little tidbit matters.
http://theelectriccitybuzz.lefora.com...
Well Ms. "don't touch my travel" Floyd. What makes you and your contribution as a representative of this county so important. You spend most of your time spreading a haters message and I have no doubt your gossip fest extends to the locations you go as well. I am sure you are not there building Anderson County up, as you don't even do that here, before the electorate, on broadcast television. You constantly tear Anderson County down for your own political gain and personal purposes.
When the FOIA request for all the organizations you financially support in Anderson sees the light of day. It will ALL become clear. If you run from it or give us a bunch of excuses, we will know without a doubt how "legitimate" your expenditures are.
One thing this article failed to mention...Ms. Floyd is the only member of council with a cellphone paid for by the taxpayer. She made the commitment that as of today that practice would stop and she would give up her county paid cellphone. Yahoooooo!
GeorgyBland writes:
Well, fake SSHM, the reality is that Mr. Moore showboated by insisting the Council needed this "oversight" of the purchasing process. So, by not getting the items until right before the meeting one of two things is happening: either (a) ALL the other members (other than Ms. Floyd) are getting the information and she is being excluded (which would be a legal violation and subject them to suit - AGAIN); or (b) the other members are just voting blindly and rubberstamping (hence no meaningful oversight). Which is it?
Mon_amie writes:
Fake SSHM,
I would love for my council member to do something besides sit on his fat duff and try to take over the county for his personal gains. If that involved travel outside the county to learn helpful information, travel to meet with prospective business draws and overall imporve his knowledge to help the county and his district, then that is what I hope the others that voted for him wanted. I did not vote for him and will vote against him next election ( I hope Mickey Mouse gets enough write in votes) but I expect him to work for his district, and if travel is needed to accomplish this, I do not want people from other districts stopping my council person.
Thanks and have a nice day!!!! and get a name for yourself.
JustSusan writes:
This was sent to me as an example of why travel is being closed. Since when does the count pay for private citizens to attend organization meetings with meals. NOTE the training was for CODE ENFORCEMENT. Because these people can't enforce code and they always talk about trash in their park they must have gone to learn how to pick litter up.
At the February 5, 2008 county council meeting, Michael Thompson, the chairman then, set aside $500 from his recreation money for training in environmental code enforcement. You won’t believe who got the training and where. Doreen and Michael Montepara spent three nights and two days at the Avista Resort in North Myrtle Beach attending a meeting of the S.C. Litter Control Assoc.
The registration was $110 for each of them for a total of $220, paid by check number 6397. The three nights at the resort cost another $191.97. That left $88.03 for meals. Mike and Doreen turned in $92.00 worth.
At least the county didn’t give them the credit card – they had Ike Brissey send a letter to the resort, giving them the credit card number and instructing that it be used to pay the charges.
Does the county extend the same courtesy to other volunteers and non-profits?
StupidShouldHurtMore writes:
JustSusan said . . .
"Since when does the count pay for private citizens to attend organization meetings with meals. NOTE the training was for CODE ENFORCEMENT. Because these people can't enforce code and they always talk about trash in their park they must have gone to learn how to pick litter up."
You might want to call Dan Harvell and ask how his training to be a Public Information Officer went then. Madren Center in Clemson, I believe.
I mean, if we are going to express outrage over the Monteparas attending something on the dime of the public, then I would expect equal parts of outrage over the Public Information Officer training.
Doing so would weaken your position, so I would expect you to take the path of the hypocrite . . . which it would appear you and my knock-off have done.
Imitation is the HIGHEST form of flattery, SSHM. Let me know how that morphine drip treats the both of you this morning.
- SSHM
PS - I post as "StupidShouldHurtMore" and sign my posts here as "- SSHM." Accept no imitations or substitutions.
1catlover writes:
Welp Just SuSAN, lets take that a step further.
WHY is our high dollar Webmaster Bob Bierman on his way to Florida (at taxpayer expense) WITH Fat-boy Taylor for a emergency training session in which is for EMERGENCY Services workers only?
1catlover writes:
Why was Harvell being trained, at COUNTY expense, for Public Relations courses at Clemson?
Is he suddenly a new employee? Hmmm.
Why was Moore & Dunn so concerned about tying up some "loose ends"? Would those loose ends be part of the investigation into current District 7 member submitting mileage expenses for her campaign, or unnecessary expenses for her trips during her JOEY-suits she initiated? Or maybe it's because that same webmaster beong paid for his trip to Dizzy-land may have ALSO did a NON-authorized website for her while being paid out of the county coffers?
simpletaxpayer writes:
I usually follow your posts and agree with you, but on this one I must oppose your opinion. I really don't think that private citizens should be allowed to use my tax money, or yours for that matter, to go to a conference in Abbeville, much less Myrtle Beach.
Why would they not send the "code enforcement officers" down there? Looking at the website for Litter Control Association, one would assume that this organization is for their (officers) benefit. If this is true it is an outrage and needs to STOP!
If Taylor Jones allows this kind of dealings to go on, then he needs to be looked at and so does the department head, Bowman or whoever he is. Someone needs to stand up for the officers who actually do the work!! Whatever happened to putting litter and animal officers under the Sheriff?
momagain45 writes:
DWade,
The name of the park you are referring to is Wellington Park located in the Homeland Park community. At one time Wellington Park was one of the nicest parks in Anderson County. Not anymore, due to years of neglect by the County.
JDTrippett writes:
To someone with any real skin in the game, you wouldn't have to explain that. The real tragedy? The scum this all has introduced into our midst.
momagain45 writes:
I know. I've been paying attention.
1catlover writes:
You're absolutely RIGHT JDtrippin'!! The scum the likes of A twice-convicted drug dealer worshipped by gasping air-hogs who are lapping up guv'ment checks! The likes of a spousal abuser running our county. The likes of illegal activities perpretrated by sitting council members by hiring relatives. The excessive waste of nearly TWO MILLION DOLLARS in a hunt for beer receipts, initiated by another liar and literal thief who lined her own pockets with taxpayer dollars. The likes of some racists and their endless tirade of "consspiratorz-z-z-" while they set up their own plaintiff's playground!
Yeah, you called that one right! The SCUM around here indeed!
momagain45 writes:
Actually I’m older than you. I have two children, ages 31 and 6. The 6 year old is my grandchild that I have had custody of since she was a baby. Good guess at the name though. There are days that I wish I were 45 again.
You will get no argument from me over Wellington Park. I agree, the park is the responsibility of the County and the County should step-up and do what’s right as far as repairs AND maintenance. There’s no excuse for the park being in that condition. I personally think they don’t care because of the park’s location. Yes, I do agree, the HPCTF is a good organization.
JDTrippett writes:
But still, they keep coming! Different names, same words. Aren't they pathetic in their efforts to obscure the truth!
momagain45 writes:
I find it rather amusing.
momagain45 writes:
I don't believe JDTrippett's comment to me had anything to do with Wellington Park. Please leave me out of your feud with him/her.
Thanks.
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