BLYTHEWOOD – At its Dec. 17 meeting, Blythewood Town Council appointed a five-member committee to select a person to represent Blythewood on the County’s proposed 15-member Penny Tax oversight committee. While Blythewood Mayor J. Michael Ross said at the meeting that the committee would begin taking applications and setting up interviews to select the representative, no deadline was announced for taking those applications to be submitted.
Town Administrator John Perry said in an email last week that the deadline for applications for the position would be Friday, January 4, at 5 p.m.
The final selection of the representative will be made by Council.
The 15-member oversight committee will include one representative from each of the County’s five municipalities (Eastover, Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes, Irmo and Blythewood), three representatives from the City of Columbia and seven representatives appointed by County Council from the unincorporated areas of the county.
Members of the Town’s selection committee are Larry Sharpe and four members of the town government or staff (Councilman Ed Garrison, Mayor Ross, Planning Commissioner Buddy Price and Town Administrator Perry.)
The 15-member oversight committee is supposed to advise County Council on details of a $1.07 billion improvement program to fund roads, bus routes, trails and bike paths in the County. However, the committee’s advice is not binding. The committee is to be finalized by Jan. 31.
For information about how to apply to be considered as the Town’s representative on the County’s oversight committee, call Town Hall at 754-0501.