RIDGEWAY – Only two council members and the mayor were on hand for the Ridgeway Town Council Special Called Meeting on June 30 for the final reading of the 2023-24 Fiscal Year budget and a vote to increase in the cost of Service to All Classes of Customers for water and sewer service. While a […]
Winnsboro receives second $500K for restoration of downtown
July 6, 2023 By
WINNSBORO – When Jason Taylor took the reins as Winnsboro Town Manager in mid-2021, his vision was for Winnsboro to realize its great potential through its five utility companies and restoration of its downtown. Over the last two years, much groundwork has been laid for that vision. With smart meters being installed for all water, […]
Changes in the works for Veterans War Memorial
July 6, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Organizers of a proposed combat veterans’ memorial in downtown Blythewood have reduced the level of financial support they’re seeking, though other considerations have been added to the project. On June 26, council members voted unanimously to release $28,200 to the Blythewood Historical Society & Museum, which is handling the project. Funds will be […]
Fairfield County Council OKs $49.3M budget, 8 mill tax increase
July 6, 2023 By
WINNSBORO – In an 11th hour effort on June 29, Fairfield County Council voted 4-3 to pass the final reading of the county’s fiscal year 2023-24 budget before the state-mandated June 30 deadline. The $49.3 million budget council approved is an increase by 21 percent over the 2021-22 budget that was passed two years ago. […]
As Richland County moves forward to pave dirt roads, property owners object
June 29, 2023 By
COLUMBIA – It was a little after 7 a.m. when 67-year-old Betty Shealy telephoned the home of The Voice’s publisher. “Nobody’s gonna pave my damn road,” she blurted out, not in the tone of a greeting. She had just finished reading a front page story in The Voice about Richland County’s proposal to pave all […]
Fairfield County may nix maintaining private shared driveways
June 29, 2023 By
WINNSBORO – Trying to explain an issue that sparked questions from members of the Fairfield County Council and unhappy comments from citizens at Tuesday’s county council meeting, county leaders say they are working on a solution to a dilemma faced over “common drives,” or driveways that are shared by multiple residences. Traditionally the county has […]
Late Fairfield County audit reveals $95M in adjustments
June 29, 2023 By
WINNSBORO – Incorrectly maintained ledgers requiring nearly $96 million in adjustments more than tripled the amount of time originally projected to complete the county’s annual audit, now six months late. The bulk of that $96 million consisted of Dominion settlement funds, unreconciled transactions, and assorted banking records. For future audits, auditors recommended additional training for […]
Town of Blythewood not transparent with legal fees
June 29, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – Some Blythewood council members and an attorney don’t think town residents should know how much of their money is being spent on costly legal bills. On Monday night, council members voted 4-1 on second reading of the $5.06 million annual budget. Councilman Donald Brock dissented. Brock and Councilman Sloan Griffin voiced concerns about […]
Fairfield WWTP options report sparks call for third party review
June 22, 2023 By
WINNSBORO – The long awaited Technical Analysis of Options report for the Fairfield Joint Water and Sewer System’s (FJWSS) wastewater treatment system was finally presented in public Tuesday evening during a meeting of the FJWSS’s technical committee. The report, compiled by the FJWSS’s contract engineer, Bill Bingham, owner of American Engineering, was intended to provide […]
Blythewood refuses to reveal MPA lawsuit costs
June 15, 2023 By
BLYTHEWOOD – With a growing number of lawsuits flying between the Town of Blythewood, Mayor Bryan Franklin and MPA strategies, the cost for those lawsuits is also most likely growing exponentially, but no one – not even the councilmen, so they say – knows what those costs are, because the Town and Mayor Franklin refuse […]
