County Council - Regular Meeting

Thank you all for coming today. I hope you can hear me. There you go. I'd like to call 04/28/2026 County Council meeting to order. Mister Cockrell, would you introduce the individual individuals of the pledge allegiance and the prayer, please?

Good evening, everyone. This evening's invocation will be led by Alicia Harris. Alicia Harris was hired in in Augusta as a paralegal with the solicitor's office of Lexington in Lexington. She is originally from Maryland side and Washington DC metropolitan area and has resettled in North Augusta, South Carolina. Alicia graduated from Harding University in Arkansas with a bachelor's degree in electronic media production. She loves being involved with her home church, the Riverside Church of Christ, and is proud grand godmother to a four year old Hazel. Welcome.

Let's bow our heads and pray. Our father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Please give us this day as our daily bread, and forgive us of our transgressions as we forgive those who have transgressed against us. Please lead us not into temptation and deliver us from evil, for thine alone is the kingdom, the power, and glory forever and ever. And all of God's people said, amen.

Thank you. Thank you very much.

And tonight, our pledge will be led by James James Weiss served in the United States Army and retired in 1991 after twenty seven years of active duty. He had three command tours in Vietnam, was assigned the British Army for two years, served on the on two air force bases, two navy bases, and twelve years in and around Pentagon. He is a Pentagon nine one one survivor, nine eleven survivor. His awards include two legions of merit, two bronze stars, four meritorious service medals, a joint service commendation medal, and three army commendation medals. He was inducted into US Army Transportation Corps Hall of Fame 2012.

For twenty years after his army retirement, Jim worked for a federally funded research and development center in DC as its director of international programs. Since moving to South Carolina in 2010, he has worked as a program manager and logistics subject matter expert for two major defense contractors. Jim resides in Lexington with his wife, Pat, a retired registered nurse. They have two adult children. Scott is director of orchestras at USC and music director and core conductor of the Aiken sympathy.

Joel is retired opera singer. Jim and Pat have one grandchild. John, who is a USC honors program graduate, is now a chemical engineer PhD candidate at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. Welcome. Thank you.

Allegiance to the flag of The United States Of America

and to the republic for which it stands stands, one nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all for all.

Thank you for your service, sir.

Oh, yes, sir, ma'am. Thank you.

Thank you very much.

He's got more hair on his head than I've got on my whole body.

Ditto.

Wow. Much information.

A TMI. Right? Well, first of all, I'd like to welcome everybody and remind everybody that we're alive on channel thirteen o two on Lexington County Spectrum channel, and we are live on a meeting portal. If you wanna go on there and watch, you can watch later or watch now. We appreciate you tuning in. We've got a couple elected officials. I saw, I think, we Rick Hubbard is here, and sheriff Coon is here. I think that's it. We really appreciate y'all showing up and supporting the county council. Anybody have anything they would like to bring up they've been involved in in the last

two weeks?

Mister chairman, if I may, I would like to just say a few words about a fellow friend, a great guy that passed away a week, week and a half, two weeks ago. Mister John R Kaufman, people that knew him knew of him as JR, was a fine man, fine Christian man. He also served in several capacities with Lexington County over twenty years plus. Was on the Lexington Medical Center School Board for two nine year back not back to back. He skipped went on the BCA and went back to the Lexington Medical Center.

So he served with on the board at the Medical Center, the Board of Zoning Appeals, and was currently a member of the Capital Project Sales Tax Commission. So my condolences to the family and Monty and the children, that that God would bless them and heal them during this process of missing JR. So I just wanted to say that.

Thank you, Larry.

Yeah. I concur. JR did it.

He's very active. He's a great guy.

He did really great public service for our county.

We all are busy. We just don't know. I can bore you to death with all the things that we do to try to make, you know, apple pie. There's a lot of work that goes on behind the scenes. But if we have something special, we like to ring it up. Thank you, Larry. Anybody else? With that said, Larry, would you make a presentation for us to the Lexington County registration and elections as recipient of Clearinghouse award, please, sir?

With me, if you don't mind. Thank you, sir. Lanise Shoemaker, head of the department head of the Lexington County Registration and Elections Commission. She does a fine job, and here is an award that states that she's doing a fine job for the department. Job well done at the national level.

Yes, sir.

And I understand the best practices that are done here are also being used all over the nation. So job well done. I'll present this resolution. It says, whereas Lexington County registration and elections was selected to receive a clearinghouse award for contingency planning, explanatory contingency planning, and emergency response efforts. The clearinghouse awards known as the Clearies are given to the United States Election Assistance Commission highlighting best practices in election administration and applauding the accomplishments of election officers nationwide officials nationwide.

Whereas leading up to the twenty twenty four election cycle, registration and elections innovative training initiatives focused on improving communications with voters and enhancing the election experience during challenging situations. Registration and election staff created an emergency flipbook designed as a quick reference guide for poll workers to use during emergency situations. The department also developed the election clerk situation training program to equip clerks with the skills to manage public interactions calmly and professionally. Whereas registration and election staff devoted many hours to the projects, hosting roundtable meetings with poll clerks, workers, and board members to receive feedback to determine the type of training needed and how best to deliver it to elections workers. The department's commitment to establishing these programs prior to the twenty twenty four presidential election cycle ensured an orderly and successful election season with no incidents reported during the largest election in our history.

And whereas the US Election Assistance Commission recognized Lexington County registration and elections for implementing programs emphasizing respect and professionalism, reinforcing the principle that voters are valued in the democratic process. Now, therefore, be it resolved that we, the members of Lexington County Council, do hereby congratulate Lexington County registration and elections for achieving such a high honor and express our appreciation for their service to the citizens of Lexington County. Congratulations. Thank you.

As you know, we have another big election cycle that's coming up.

And so I look forward, and my team look forward to serving Lexington County. And the elections are right around the corner, the June primaries, as well as, the November election. So we look forward to serving you. And if you have any questions, please come see us. And I hope you can join us during this election cycle if you'd like to see, how the elections are conducted at our office.

Thank you. Good job, Lanise.

Good job, Lanise. They do a tremendous job with your team. I have to say,

without them, we wouldn't be here.

Yep. Alright. Next we have the administrator's report.

Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Tonight, we're going to jump right into the employee of the quarter. And then as part of it, when we get to the budget, the approval of ordinance 2,605, the annual budget, we'll give more of a detailed description at that point of the budget before we take that up. So joining, jumping right into the employee of the quarter.

When I call your name, if you'll please come down and stand at the front. ShantiKey Benson of nine one one. Benson is nominated for employer of the first quarter for her attention to detail, strong work ethic, and commitment to maintaining the highest standards that play a critical role in the department's continued success. Shantiki's effort not only support accreditation, but also strengthen the overall professionalism and accountability with communications. Under her leadership and guidance, communications has successfully earned its sixth accreditation award, a notable achievement that is reflective of her dedication, organization, and commitment to excellence.

Shantiqi works diligently to ensure that the departmental policies and procedures remain current, compliant, and consistently followed. It is for these reasons Shantiqi Vinton is highly deserving of recognition as employee of the quarter. Jody Clamp, sheriff's department. Jody Clamp is nominated for employee of the first quarter for his exceptional performance and dedication to the sward unit. Jody has been instrumental in assisting sergeant Forgione with setting up count sheets and consistently providing thoughtful positive input when task arise.

His attention to detail and commitment to excellence are evident in the high quality of work he delivers regardless of the assignment. Jody approaches every problem solving with professionalism and solution oriented mindset. He not only identifies challenges, but also proactively develops and presents viable solutions to a sergeant. His ability to take initiative without being asked demonstrates both leadership and accountability. Jody played a key role in training a new employee to ensure she was trained to standard and always made himself available if there were questions or challenges during the training.

His mentorship reflects his commitment to the success of both his colleagues and his unit as a whole. Jody consistently demonstrates integrity, loyalty, and professionalism in his service to the SORD unit and the sheriff's department. He adheres to departmental policies and sets a strong example for others through his conduct and work ethic, making him truly deserving candidate for this recognition. Shayla Goldiner, EMS. Sergeant first class Shayla Goldiner is nominated for employee of the first quarter for her incredible work ethic, leadership, and versatility.

While maintaining a demanding role on marine patrol, she simultaneously filled a leadership void as interim lieutenant. And because of her prior experience in this rank, she provided a plug and play leadership solution that ensured departmental stability without a moment of hesitation. Shayla's veteran perspective allows her to identify organizational needs well before they become deficits. She consistently sacrifices personal time adjusting her schedule to meet fluctuating departmental demands. A hallmark of her leadership is an unwavering commitment to accountability and fairness.

By leveraging her background in command, she has earned a profound respect for both staff and subordinates alike. Her meticulous attention to detail ensures that the high standards of the county are upheld in every report, interaction, and and deployment, fostering an environment where excellence is the baseline. Beyond her administrative and operational success, Shaila recognizes that the strength of department lies in its future and has invested significant effort into mentoring upcoming paramedics, fostering their clinical and professional growth to directly support the agency's long term succession planning. Shayla's dedication to team cohesion is unparalleled. She represents the very best of the county service making her an ideal candidate for employee of the first quarter.

David Jenkins, solid waste management. David is nominated for employee of the first quarter for his irreplaceable presence within solid waste management. Excuse me. As the department's only maintenance technician, he shoulders the extraordinary range of responsibilities that would ordinarily be distributed among multiple specialized positions. From repairing compactors at all 11 collection centers to maintaining the heavy equipment essential to landfill operations, David consistently ensures that the department's most critical machinery remains safe, functional, and dependable.

His expertise spans small engine repair, welding, fabrication, and tool restoration, each performed with exceptional care and precision. What truly sets David apart is his unwavering availability and readiness to respond at him any moment. David is on call twenty four hours a day, seven days a week, all year long. Excuse me. And he consistently steps up in after hours and on weekends and even on holidays to address equipment failures, hydraulic leaks, fires inside the competitors or any other requiring immediate attention.

His ability to operate the boom truck during emergency incidents has made him indispensable in safely managing materials and preventing larger problems from becoming major disruptions. David's work ethic, broad skill set, and unmatched commitment are truly one of a kind making him a highly deserving candidate for an employee of the quarter. Cole Maccabee, public works. Cole McAbee is nominated for employee of the first quarter for his exceptional initiative, integrity, and technical leadership within Laxton County. As the sole engineering associate for the encroachment permit review process, managing everything from intake to final inspection.

This quarter alone, Cole went beyond his standard duties to develop standardized infrastructure repair guidelines to address recurring pavement issues. Cole's ability to mediate complex disputes such as recent multi week property damage claim involving a major utility provider highlights his professionalism and commitments to residents. From overseeing emergency repair projects to managing 35 diverse permit reviews, Cole consistently delivers thorough technically sound results. His initiative, professionalism, integrity, and commitment to quality make him highly deserving for recognition on employee of the first quarter. Nikki Rutisel, nine one one.

Nikki is nominated for employee of the first quarter for her unwavering reliability, proactive initiative, and calm composure under pressure. In a profession where seconds matter, Nikki stands steady, arriving at a level of focus and commitment that strengthens the entire organization. She defines initiative consistently volunteering for extra shifts and anticipating operational needs before they even identified. Whether navigating high stress calls or stating presence or adjusting fluidity to a dynamic console, her work ensures the safety both to responders and citizens. Nikki carries the weight of public trust with quite honor and take and integrity.

Nikki doesn't just meet her expectation or role, she elevates them, reflecting the very best of her department making her truly deserving for this recognition. Abby Stowers, nine one one. Captain Stowers is nominated for employee of the first quarter for her dedication, professionalism, and genuine care for her team and community. Captain Stowers consistently goes above and beyond the call of duty, routinely picking up extra shifts even when she is not on call. Her willingness to step in wherever she is needed chose not only reliability, but a deep commitment to the department's mission and her fellow dispatchers.

Captain Stowers embodies what it means to be one of the unseen heroes and a first first responder. She always puts on puts others first, handling every call as the top priority and demonstrates calm, compassion, and excellence in the most challenging situations. Despite the impact she makes daily, she never seeks recognition for her selfless actions. Beyond her operational leadership, captain Stowards invest in the people around her. She creates thoughtful activities and team building opportunities that bring staff together to help everyone feel like family.

Because of her efforts, her coworkers feel valued, supported, and motivated to do their best work. Her character, work ethic, and heart for service make a measurable difference every day. It is for these reasons that captain Stowers is truly deserving recognition of the employee of first quarter. Could you give them all another round of applause, please? I wanna call out the winner of the of the first quarter if you'll come over and receive your award, and if each of you will follow in behind and meet captain Myrick out by the staircase for a picture.

Although all the nominees exude the characteristics of what it means to be a dedicated public servant and fulfill the definition of a County of Lexington employee, the employee of the 2026 as mister David Jenkins. Congratulations.

All of you guys are

winners. Yep.

Sean Tinky. Cody. Kayla?

Thank you. Thank you. Hold.

A long ways from answering the phone.

Thank you. Thank you. Mister chairman, we'll once we get to the ordinance for the budget, I go into detail and have a presentation on the budget to to wrap that up. So that's all I have for right now.

Let me get one more thing. What about the banquet? Tell me about the banquet.

Yes. I I'd like to thank the everyone who had a hand in putting on the banquet last or two weeks ago. It was highly attended. In fact, it was probably most one of the most attended banquets that we've had in quite some time. So, I think the HR staff, the technical technology services staff, captain Myrick from the sheriff's department emceed and did a great job.

So we're certainly appreciative of everyone. We had 47 people get awards that night. To get an award, it was a ten, twenty, thirty, and forty year awards. We had two recipients of forty year awards, so that's quite the feat. So just wanna thank all the employees for everything they do and it's one way that we can recognize, you know, their their their loyalty to the county. So thank you everyone. Thank you, sir.

Mister Sturkey, and I apologize for not being there. If I could have been there, I would have been there, but my back, I had a little surgery that day. It did not wanna cooperate. So thank you, mister Cockrell, for stepping in. Here thank you. Resolutions approval of resolution recognizing May 2026 as National Public Works Week. Is there a motion?

Motion to approve. Second.

I have a miss a motion by mister Cockrell, a second by mister Bishop. All in favor?

On the way, madam clerk called for the vote. I think I'm back. Hey. That's good. Let's do it.

Back in the back.

We should. We're don't know if don't vote. Yeah.

We do it twice.

Councilman Cullen. Vote often.

Early in often. Early in

often. Early in often. Yeah.

Councilman Cullum? Yes. Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Kehrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham? Yes. Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell?

Yes.

Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Thank you. Secondly, the approval of resolution recognizing 07/04/2026 is Lexington County Peach Festival Day. So moved, mister chair. I have a motion by mister Brigham. Second. A second by mister Fisher. Madam clerk, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell?

Yes.

Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Under boards and commission, I want to let you know that we have two appointees for council of government. I've asked them to hold that because that term is only it expires, what, June June 17 or something like that?

June 15.

June what?

June 15.

June 15. So that when we would be one meeting, we have to revote again for somebody else. But look at the board and the commission, we sure have some vacancies that we need to fill. Mister Bishop, I would suggest that you and Larry get together on the capital penny sales tax.

We already have. Okay.

Alright. Very good. You have any nominations? Do not deny. Thank you.

Approval of minutes of 04/14/2026.

Move to approve the April.

I have

a motion by mister Bishop. Second. Second by mister Copprill.

I the court. Call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell?

Yes.

Chairman Hudson?

Yes.

The ordinances, we have an approval of ordinance 26 dash o two, an ordinance approving a contract for conveyance of real estate from the county of Lexington to Cedar Square LLC. And I'll read this real quick. The ordinance approving the county contract for the conveyance of real estate in the county of Lexington to Cedar Square LLC ordinance 26 dash o two. Whereas the County Of Lexington here as the hereafter the county is the owner of the property located the County Of Lexington containing approximately 21 o seven acres located at intersection of Old Dunbar Road and Creekside Road. Whereas the county has received an offer from Cedar Square LLC to purchase a sub subject property as set forth in the contract attached hereto signed by the purchaser.

Whereas the County of Blexton deemed to be in the public interest to sell the property to the purchaser. Whereas pursuant to the county code section 46 dash one e, county council has determined that it benefits the county to sell the subject property to purchaser. County council waives the sale of the county property procedures set forth in the county code section 46 dash one. And now therefore pursuant to the authority granted by the county code section 46 dash one be it ordained and enacted by the Lexington County Council as follow. Section one, the Lexington County Council hereby approves the contract to sale attached herein hereto as signed by the purchaser.

And number two, the chairman of the Lexington County Council or county administrator is authorized and directed to execute and deliver a deed, and the chairman or the county administrator is authorized to execute any other closing documents necessary to complete the sale of the property described in the contract to sale attached hereto to the purchaser. I hear a motion.

To Second.

A motion by miss Carrig and a second by mister Cullum. Court, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell? Yes.

Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell?

Yes.

Chairman Hudson?

Yes.

Alright. Now we're at approval of the ordinance twenty six zero five, an ordinance adopting an animal an annual budget for financial year 2627, and you should have a packet after day, Oscar.

Thank you, mister chairman. All councils should have a packet in front of them. We're gonna hit the the highlights of it today and go through the the recommended budget. First of all, before we do that, though, I'd like to thank all the departments with with all the the submissions. They're they're working with us, coming up, and a lot of negotiating, a a lot of working through items. Specifically, though, I wanna thank the finance department and also mister Adam DeBose and miss Stacy Feldman for their help. I'm sure they're tired of seeing me and all the questions. There's no doubt about that. But tonight, you do have in front of you a recommended budget that is balanced. Alright. It is a balanced budget as we are required to do so.

Can you say that a little bit louder? A balanced budget.

It's a balanced budget. Yes, ma'am. So, I'm gonna focus here on the appropriations, the recommended amount, the projected revenues. The recommended amount is the second column. The projected revenues is the fourth column, and then and then the last column is what we're doing with some fund balance.

If you look at the general fund, the ordinary general fund, the recommended amount is $113,237,632. The projected revenues is a 101,628,000 100 $808. Now the general fund for one time capital item expenditures, we're using $11,608,824 of fund balance to balance the budget. For fire service, the recommended amount is 38,059,623. The projected revenues are 35,393,773.

We're using 2,665,850 of fund balance to balance the fire service. For law enforcement, the recommended amount is $70,155,706. The projected revenues is $70,155,706. That is a balanced budget within the sheriff's department within law enforcement without any fund balance. So in summary, for the general fund, which would include the ordinary general fund fire service law enforcement, the recommended amount is $221,452,961 and we to do that, to to achieve that, we will use $14,274,674 of fund balance.

For the non general fund, now remember the non general fund are all the millages that received and they all have a contingency and so forth. So as you see the fund balance over to the right, the minus columns, that's money that was collected within that fund and it's in a contingency account that is being moved to balance the budget. There's this is not any funds from the county ordinary fund balance. For the library, the recommended amount is 13,000,700 oh, $376,508. It's a projected revenues of $12,432,007 from the contingency account within the library that we use 944501.

For the solicitor, the recommended is $2,846,101. The projected revenues, $2,630,918. We'll use $215,183. For law enforcement, 7,642,456 is the recommended amount. $7,000,310,456 is revenues.

We'll use 332,000 within their contingency. For solid waste, the 20 it's recommended at 26,941,229 with the projected revenues of 22,794,333 for a contingency of 4,146,896. Excuse me. For the airport, 217,721 is the recommended amount, 83,102 is revenues for a 134,619. For the airport for capital projects, 709 98,250 and 709 and 98,250 for the projected revenues to balance.

So for other special revenue accounts, the recommended amount is 63,089,160 projected revenues of 55,252,322, and we're using contingency out of some of those accounts for 7,836,838. Excuse me. So for the total county appropriations of Lexington for the fiscal year twenty six twenty seven budget, the recommended amount is $336,364,386. If you look to the right, where it says new programs for the, general fund, we are including 24 new programs for fire service, five, and for law enforcement, 14. A total of 43 new programs.

It totals $80,261. And for the non general fund, we have one at 18,272 for a total of 44 new programs for $98,533. If you were to consider a millage increase excuse me. CPI at 2.63%, population at 1.12. You can see the meals that would be applied for 4% value c p l CPI only would be $9.60.

For 6%, it would be $14.40. For population, it would be $4 on a four percent and $6 on a 6%. If you were to use everything that's allowed to you that's available, would be a total of 3.75, which totals 3.4 meals. Could increase $13.60 per 100,000 home at a 4% or $20.40 at a 6%. For the fiscal year 2627 general fund recommended appropriations, again, the total recommended is $221,452,961.

68.92% of that is for personnel costs. Operating is at 20.66%. The capital cost is at 7.3%. Excuse me. Haven't had this problem all day.

I meant money.

I got one right here. Sorry about that. And you can see the recommended general fund, the operating cost that is totaling 45,759,000. That's what it takes for us to operate the county of Lexington. You can see from the contract of maintenance, operating supplies, insurance, 800 megahertz radios, and the charges are as such.

We always show just so you can get an understanding. For fiscal year twenty six twenty seven, for the law enforcement division, their total budget would be $70,155,706. You see it broken down here by personnel costs, operating costs, capital costs, and grant transfers. The percentage of the general fund budget for law enforcement is 31.68%. When you look at fire service, their total budget is $38,059,623.

Again, it's broken out by personnel, operating capital, and transfers. Their total percentage of the general fund budget is 17.19%. Emergency medical services, a total budget of $29,967,017. See the personnel cost operating, capital cost of transfers is broken out. Total of the general fund budget for emergency medical services is 13.53%.

For public works,

their total budget is $15,313,358. The percent of the general fund budget for public works is 6.91%. And then for nine one one communications, the total budget is $5,686,101 for 2.57% of the total general fund budget. So when you look at that collectively, of the 38 departments that we have to run within general fund, we've got 71.88% of the general fund budget goes to five departments. This year, you always hear me talk about our employees, the retention of our employees and and filling positions, and part of that is a pay package.

It is always my desire to try to provide a pay package for our employees. They are most important asset. Within this recommended budget that is balanced, you see the highlighted in the middle there is recommending 5% funding, a cost of living of 2%, and a merit increase of 3%. The cost of living at 2% all employees would receive, the merit of 3% would be dependent upon the review and how it is applied in the rating. You can see the breakdown of the funds for county ordinary, fire service, law, the library solid waste, and then total for all funds.

I have given you here some options for us to consider. I always showed a three and three. Last year, we did a cost of living at three and a merit at three, and you see that at 6% funding over on the left left side of the the the one that's highlighted. The one that highlighted is what's recommended, but then also as we work through our budget sessions, you can see we do have other options of even of of a two and two and the percentage. You can tell at the very bottom for total of all funds, the difference between 3% cost of living and a 3% merit versus a 2% cost of living and a 3% merit, which is over a million dollars countywide.

And you show we do show our history and what has been occurred over the past several years, which again, we're extremely grateful for. For fiscal year 2627, the here are the meals and the estimated revenues that will be applied for CPI at 2.63. If you were to apply just CPI, the estimated additional revenue would be $4,526,856 for population only at 1.12%. It'd be $1,906,408.60. And if you were to do both, if you any consideration of a millage increase with CPI and population, 3.75%, that would generate an additional $6,433,264.

And this is just another recap, excuse me, of the summary pages. Mr. Chairman, that's the presentation of recommended budget. Several things that I would like to point out. We will start our budget work sessions on May 5. That's next Tuesday. It should be in your calendars already. Working with the departments on a schedule when when they'll come forward. I know as of lunchtime today, eight departments have requested to come do a presentation, so we'll work through that. Probably looking at starting at one to 02:00, something like that, but we'll have that schedule solidified by midafternoon tomorrow.

On May 12, the outside agencies will have a chance to come. They will be provided their budgets tonight or first thing in the morning, the outside agencies with their funding. They'll have an opportunity on May 12 to come for anything that was removed, and then we're scheduling the public hearing for May 26. Do you have any questions?

Can we get a copy of that? Yes,

ma'am. Certainly. We will we will have this excuse me?

I really like that presentation.

Okay. We will we will certainly give you the presentation. We'll have the copies. The recommended budget will be online tomorrow on our website that anyone can see and with any questions or anything I can certainly answer. But we've got we still have a lot of work ahead of us, but I'm I'm I'm I'm proud to present this to you tonight. Thank

you, mister Sturkey. I challenge all of us to go home and study these items as we all do.

We'll have a test.

Yeah. Sure. Sure. And

What was what was question for you? I know that you'll have the answer to every So

60000000.

66000000.

I would seek a motion motion for first reading.

Move to approve, mister chair.

We have a motion for first reading of the

twenty second

seven budget

by miss Carrig and a second by mister Cullum.

Madam Clerk, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger?

Yes.

Councilman Fisher?

Thane.

Councilman Brigham? Yes. Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Now we go to committee reports, mister Brigham.

If I'm Too busy looking at my numbers. Health and Human Services Committee met Tuesday, April 14 to hear a request from Lexington County Fire Service for the approval of an automatic aid agreement between the town of Batesburg Lethal and the county of Lexington. The automatic aid agreement would allow Lexington County Fire Service and the Batesburg Lethal Fire Department to provide mutual emergency response to the Batesburg Lethal area of Lexington County. The agreement would commence on 07/01/2026 for a period of three years ending on 06/30/2029. The agreement will be reviewed after three years and for one year periods thereafter.

Committee approved that. That's my motion. Second.

Motion by mister Brigham. Second by mister Bishop. Madam chair, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Any questions, guys?

Next committee report is me. Thank you, Larry. Sir. Approval of the community grant block CDBG program home and investment partnership. Emergency solutions grant ESG program '26 to 27 draft.

Committee of the Whole convened on Tuesday, 04/14/2026 to hear a request from the community development for approval of community development block grant, CDBG program, home investment partnership, home program, our emergency solutions grant, ESG programs '20 2026 through 2027 draft action plan. The grant programs divisions conservatively estimates that during financial years 2026, the county election received $1,850,758 in CBDG grant program funding, 704,796.75 in home grant program funding, $160,713 in USG grant funds from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development. Each year, the US Department of Housing and Urban Development requires the county of elections submit an annual action plan describing the county's plan for these funds. Funds. The action plan identifies and describes a project recommended by the county's grand advisory committee grant program staff.

Proposed projects are evaluated, scored, and recommended based on the federal eligibility and the project's availability of funds and by viability of the project. After brief discussion, the committee moved to recommend full council approval of the Community Development Block Grant CDBG program, home invest investment partnerships, home program, emergency solutions grant ESG program 2022 2026 through 2027 draft annual action plan. That was a mouthful. I'll make that a motion.

Second.

We have a second by miss Kehrig, madam chair, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullen?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger?

Yes.

Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop? Yes. Vice Chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Any questions? Next, we

have the approval of amended County Council meeting scheduled. And the only changes here is we obviously are not having it on the election day, June 9. It will be Wednesday, June 10. I have a motion to change the date.

Make a motion to approve.

Motion by miss Wessinger. Second. Second by mister Cockrell. Here, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum? Yes. Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrick? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham? Yes. Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Any questions? Next, we have the approval of opioid partial case settlement. We were informed about this last meeting by our attorney. This amount is somewhere in the $70,000 range.

It will be added to the approximately 18,000,000 received on opiate settlement. The committee of a whole convened earlier today to hear a request for the approval of the opiate partial case settlement. Committee moved to re recommend full council approval of the partial case settlement and to authorize the county administrator to execute any documents to complete the settlement with the following, Associated Pharmacies Inc. And American Associated Pharmacies, J. M.

Smith Company, Louisiana Wholesale Drug Company Inc, Morrison Dixon, North Carolina Wholesale Drug Company Inc, And UNFI super value. We have a couple more still pending and we we and I will make that in form of a motion. Second. Bishop is a second.

Court call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger?

Yes.

Councilman Fisher?

Yes.

Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Questions?

Yeah. The committee of the whole met for the approval of submit South Carolina opioid recovery funds. There was a caveat added to this. I don't think it's in here. With us semi yearly, how they are are doing and how many people they have affected or touched.

We wanna see where this money is going and we want to keep make sure this money stays in Lexington County. Committee of the whole convened earlier today to hear a request for approval to submit South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund score application. Currently, all funds in South Carolina Opioid Recovery Fund must be used for approved opioid remedy remediation purposes categorized as core abatement strategies and approved use. Currently, Lexington County has a total of $5,365,743 available in SCORE account. Annually, Lexington County agencies and community partner organizations that provide opioid related services awareness initiatives submit requests for con can can continued scored fund and existing programs as well as funding for new initiatives.

Following is the summary, the f y 2027 request and the amounts requested. Lexington County coroner's office, a 170,957. The RAID Act, $532,048. Eleventh Circuit Solicitor's Office, $208,140. City of Casey, $421,600.

Courage Center, $964,048. After a brief discussion, the committee moved to recommend the full council approval to submit the South Carolina Open Recovery Fund application for the following agencies and organizations, Lexington County coroner's office, Lared Act, eleventh circuit solicitor's office, city of Casey, and the Courage Center. I would also make that a motion.

Second. I have a

second by miss Carey. Madam clerk.

Councilman Cullen.

Before we

vote, mister chairman, your motion, I think you stated earlier, it will include a reporting requirement on this if it should be approved.

Yes, sir.

Developed by staff. Okay. Alright. Yes.

Councilman Conwell.

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrigg. Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger. Yes. Councilman Fisher.

Yes.

Councilman Brigham.

Yes.

Councilman Bishop.

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell.

Yes.

Chairman Hudson.

Yes.

I'm tired of hearing me read. Lastly, approval of contract to sale for purchase of property, 04/28/2026. The committee of a whole commit conveyed earlier today to hear a request for approval of contract or sale for purchase of property. Just so you know, this property is right behind the current Courage Center as it sit. Committee moved to recommend full council approval of the contract and contract addendum for the county to purchase the Knuts property that is adjacent to Courage Center property subject to final approval by the county attorney.

Understanding that the county will be reimbursed for the purchase price from the opioid lawsuit settlements where the settlement funds are received by the county. I'm sorry guys, but I'll make that motion also.

Second.

I have a second by miss Carrig.

That's an in Carrig show.

Yeah. Just this last piece here. Anyway, madam clerk, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum? Yes. Councilman Conwell? Yes. Councilwoman Carrig?

Yes.

Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham?

Yes.

Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Kocher? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes. Thank you, guys. Any questions?

Alright. We go to the budget amendment resolutions.

Thank you, mister chairman. Tonight, we have four. These first two we discussed today earlier in the committee in the committee room as we were developing the CDB mitigation grant program. So the first one is an appropriation transfer of $1,664,173 and an additional fiscal year funding increase $16,247. This budget amendment is to realign the federal funding of the CDBG mitigation grant for the actual project costs.

The next one that we discussed earlier is an appropriation transfer of 4,955,557. The transfer funds to cover the construction phase of the Charlestown Road dirt to pave project between Covenant Church Road and Hartley Quarter Road. That project length is about two point o seven miles. This portion of charge town of Charles Town Road is currently ranked number three on the dirt road paving list and was approved for pity paving by the county transportation committee on 08/24/2021. Design phase services include survey, roadway and hydraulic design, utility coordination, and right of way acquisition were funded through the community development grant program.

So that's to move the c funds to take care of that as we discussed earlier. Next is an additional fiscal year funding increase of a $108,735. Fire service received an insurance claim reimbursement. This is to record the revenue for the appropriated funds. And then finally, as an additional fiscal year funding increase of $15,000, the Friends of the Museum donated $15,000 to be used for ductwork replacement in the John Fox House. This is to book those funds. And that's it, mister chair.

Thank you. Mister mister Cobb, you wanna mention something about the price of that project that we just approved the transfer of funds on how much stuff had gone up in the last nine years?

Mister Hudson, I'd love to other than the fact that I don't wanna experience heartburn one more time Yep. Again today. But, yes, as we were talking earlier in the committee, if there's no other demonstration of what was just stated for the need to make improvements for the road system in our county, not county roads alone, state roads also. 10% a year. 10% a year is the increased cost for us to go in and and maintain and construct new roads.

I think the rate of inflation's I don't know what it is now, 4%, 3%, so up as high as seven. And road construction's exceeding that. Not trying to make this advertisement for the penny tax, but I don't know any other way. Really don't. At 10% increased cost, The time you actually put something in motion, was just telling mister Conwell, we approved Charlestown Road 2021.

Did I hear that right? Five years later. So even if you can put the collection in place, the next fiscal year twenty seven, twenty eight, twenty eight, twenty nine, the time of which it's going to take for the available labor in the market to even get it done through the engineering process and people bidding it. You're still if we cut that time in half, we're two and a half years away. So I don't know where the threshold for the pain and agony of traveling on the roads which we have to reverse every day.

But I can tell you one thing financially, it it may come to the point that it's just not tenable to do it. 10% a year. The first penny was introduced in 2014. Figure that figure that number up 10% a year.

Yep. Yep. Yep. But he's

telling Twelve plus years, sir.

Telling the truth. So, anyways, it's

sound like mister Hudson now, Donna.

Yeah. You do.

But it's but it's the truth.

It's it's true. It's just Can I borrow the pen, please? Anyway, it's frustrating. I'm looking for some approvals for the bur of the bids, purchases, and RFPs.

Move to approve items q r and s under the bids purchases RSPs.

We have a motion by mister Bishop for q r s. Second. Second by miss Wessinger. Madam clerk, call for the vote.

Councilman Cullum?

Yes.

Councilman Conwell?

Yes.

Councilwoman Carrig? Yes. Councilwoman Wessinger? Yes. Councilman Fisher? Yes. Councilman Brigham? Yes. Councilman Bishop?

Yes.

Vice chair Cockrell? Yes. Chairman Hudson?

Yes.

BERNSTEIN: BERNSTEIN:

We have a public hearing in one minute. So Let's roll. Thank you all for coming. And we are adjourned. To order.

Alright. Alright.

Hey, guys. We got a public hearing going on. Please. Thank you. I'm not gonna when I was sitting beside Beth, I went deaf in my right ear for like a year.

Bet you heard me.

Yeah. I still read them. I still rung on PTSD in my ears. We have a public hearing and it appears I don't have to read all this that the attorney prepared for me. Thank you. Jeff, I appreciate you preparing that. We have no one. I'm a open. The in favor, there's no one here in favor. Do we have anybody on email

in favor

or any electronic media?

No, sir.

No. None. We will close. Thee in favor. I will open the opposition to twenty six zero one. We have no one in opposition of twenty six zero one. And did we have anybody on electronic media? No one at all. I'll close that part and I will read.

Ask anybody who wants to speak.

Nobody's here. Would you like to speak? Sheriff. Sheriff. Nobody wants to to.

Thank you,

sir. Sheriff, you don't want to.

I will read this. You need to read this to make it official. We appreciate y'all coming tonight. We are adjourned.