Fairfield County Council to raise taxes, borrow $3.5M, spend $100K more on RW rec center

WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Council is one vote away from enacting a tax increase – two months after approving the county’s annual budget. In a 5-2 vote, council members voted to approve an eight-mill increase, increasing the tax rate from 182.3 to 190.3 mills. Council members Shirley Greene and Tim Roseborough voted in opposition. The […]

Council recommends sending wastewater to the Broad

WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Council members unanimously want to dispose of further debate about the direction it takes with the proposed wastewater treatment plant. On Monday night, council members voted 7-0 to recommend that the Fairfield County Joint Water Sewer Authority adopt the proposed Broad River discharge site over Cedar Creek. Council members concluded that […]

Letter: Save the Farmers Market!

I am asking County Council to please support the Fairfield Farmers & Artisans Market by removing the rental fee recently implemented for the use of the building on market days. The market is an asset to citizens, farmers, and county businesses. Fairfield County is a designated food desert, and the market is a way for […]

Late Fairfield County audit reveals $95M in adjustments

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 […]

Guest Editorial: County’s budget planning falls short

I attended the May 4 budget meeting where the department heads told council what money they needed for the coming fiscal year, the majority of which were increases from the current fiscal year.  There were a few things I expected to see during this meeting but didn’t. First, I expected to see all seven council […]

Fairfield County Council blasts complaints

WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Council members are pushing back against criticisms that little progress is being made on rou­tine fiscal, administrative and other county matters. Specifically, residents have railed against the council over thin agendas, tardy audits, lack of transparency, not working to­ward filling the vacant County Administrator post and failure to move forward in […]

Pauley to lead new council; Gilbert elected vice chair

WINNSBORO – Four county council members were sworn into office Monday evening during the regular council meeting. Douglas Pauley (District 5) and Clarence Gilbert (District 7) were re-elected to office, both serving their second full four-year terms. Also sworn in were newcomers Dan Ruff (District 1) and Peggy Swearingen (District 3). The four newly elected […]

Bell votes for funding that both he and his wife could receive

WINNSBORO – Fairfield County Council finished some last minute Christmas shopping Monday night, voting at a special called meeting to spend $1.2 million in taxpayer money, including $922,000 in one-time, non-itemized employee bonuses. The vote passed 5-0, with Councilman Doug Pauley abstaining, while Councilman Neil Robinson was absent. The ordinance as originally crafted provided $286,000 […]

Bell’s farewell address touts feats, prejudges new council

WINNSBORO – Moses Bell’s farewell address read more like a manifesto, praising his own leadership and what he saw as his many accomplishments.  He also aired his personal grievances and cast aspersions on those he perceived as as detrimental to his success. Bell, the outgoing Fairfield County Council chairman, who recently lost a reelection bid […]

Election tilts council’s balance of power

WINNSBORO – Voters sent a clear message to the Fairfield County Council Tuesday night as they turned out County Council Chairman Moses Bell (Dist.1) and long-time Councilman and Vice Chairman Mikel Trapp (Dist. 3), leaving council with a new majority vote. Voters returned Dist. 5 representative Douglas Pauley and Dist. 7 representative Clarence Gilbert to […]

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