West Pelzer Council meeting becomes heated

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Over TAN Note and Police Protection

By Stan Welch

At the last West Pelzer Town Council meeting, Councilman Jimmy Jeanes walked out of a heated discussion of the proposed budget. Monday night, at a public hearing on that same budget, Jeanes walked into a hornet’s nest.

The public hearing, scheduled for thirty minutes prior to the Council meeting, drew a standing room only crowd; and from the start, it was obvious that both of Jeanes’ supporters walked in with him. As for the rest of the crowd, their support for the police department was obvious and vocal.

Jeanes, during both his terms on Council, has been a consistent critic of the police department and the expense it incurs at budget time. This year has been no different, as he has proposed cutting positions in the police department, as well as reducing the court clerk’s hours and cutting a part time water and sewer employee.

But it was clear that the crowd not only wants a full time police department, but is willing to pay for it. Both the elderly and those with young children spoke in favor of the full time department, saying that such a use of taxpayer’s money was better than most.

Town resident Doris Thompson, who told Jeanes she had been living in town since 1945, scolded him relentlessly, causing him to finally retort that he didn’t care what she thought of him. “Well, nobody cares what you think either, Jimmy. You tried this same thing last time, and it didn’t go anywhere. You won’t get away with it this time, either.”

A dozen or so people spoke, declaring the importance of a full time department. One mother of three said that when she hears noises in the yard at three in the morning, she doesn’t want to have to call the county to get someone to come whenever they can get around to it. “I want someone there now!”

After several minutes, someone in the audience asked for the Council members to introduce themselves. When Jeanes’ turn came, he began pleading his financial case so persistently and adamantly that the Mayor had to rule him out of order to allow Councilman Johnny Rogers to introduce himself.

The public hearing, which was primarily concerned with the budget, became embroiled in the related and equally contentious issue of whether or not to issue a tax anticipation note (TAN); a governmental financial device used to ease cash flow problems between the end of a fiscal year, and the receipt of the next year’s tax revenues. Mayor Paxton said that the issue was even more important than the budget. “If we don’t vote to get this advance on our taxes, the budget won’t matter. We won’t have the cash flow to pay our bills.”

Again, Jeanes was on the unpopular side of that issue, as well. He argued that the Town could cut enough costs to make the TAN unnecessary, but since some of the cuts he favored to achieve that included reductions to the police budget, his opposition was essentially futile. Jeanes argued vociferously that the legal fees and interest that would have to be paid on the note would be difficult for the Town to come up with by the April 15 deadline for repaying the note.

“If we pass this budget tonight, we might be alright for awhile, but sooner or later, this town will fold,” said Jeanes. Paxton countered by explaining that the proposed tax increase in the budget is designed to begin building a reserve so that the use of a TAN doesn’t become routine. We’re fine right now, Jimmy. Ths is something we need to start now so that we can get a cushion built up.”

Paxton retorted that the TAN’s costs would be nominal, an argument bolstered by Ziegler and Pope attorney Margaret McGee’s report that two banks had offered to buy the Town’s note. Both offered interest rates below three per cent. The low rate was 2.49 per cent.

Councilman Robert Alexander, who has been absent from the last two meetings, leaving the Council floundering at a two to two impasse, was on hand Monday night. After polling the public about their wishes on the issuance of the TAN, he voted with Mayor Peggy Paxton and Councilman Blake Sanders in favor of the ordinance.

As if all the steam had been let off, once the public hearing, which ran over by twelve minutes, had ended, the votes on the TAN and the budget proceeded quietly, with Jeanes remaining silent for the most part. The budget, which includes a three mil tax increase and no cuts in personnel, also passed by the same 3-2 vote.

Council also unanimously declared that the phrase ‘In God We Trust’ will be prominently displayed in the Town Hall, in keeping with the phrase’s status as the national motto of the United States. The Mayor also issued a proclamation declaring July 23 to be the West Pelzer Day of Reading, designed to encourage early literacy efforts in children.