Wrongful Spending

County Council Letter Print PDF

This Letter from the Greenville Tax Payers Association was sent during a period of great economic hardship for American Families.   It expresses everyone's displeasure with public servants that use your tax dollars for their walking around money.   Despite Court rulings declaring the individual Councilman spending funds as clearly illegal, the Council defies the law and the people.    
GREENVILLE COUNTY TAXPAYERS' ASSOCIATION (GCTA)
PMB # 115
8595 Pelham Road, Suite 400
Greenville, SC 29615
864-244-0843
November 23, 2010

Herman G. (Butch) Kirven, Jr. Chairman
Greenville County Council
Greenville, SC 29601-3665

Dear Chairman Kirven,

The recent report concerning the management of Greenville County Government during state budget cuts over the last two years, as reported in the Greenville News, was both informative and well received. The administration reported on the state funding cuts and that as a result of efficient management, Greenville County has been able to continue to provide a full range of services. While this report is encouraging it clearly indicates that past county expenditures before the state cuts were greater than was necessary to provide a full range of quality services. Good efficient management is a given in any public or private business.

Going forward it is evident from the current economy, unemployment, and the November elections that elected, tax borrow and spend officials still don’t get it. The current size and spending of government at the local, state and national level should and must be reduced. To achieve that goal we are asking all of our elected officials to review the clear mission of the unit of government they are elected to serve and cut the size and spending. We are including in this letter several Greenville County budget items that can be cut that will not affect the delivery of county services, will reduce spending, and reduce taxes.           

We continue to be surprised and to a degree amazed that seven Greenville County Council members voted to increase their salaries over 6% in the two year budget recently passed. During the current downturn in the economy salary increases are unthinkable. The State Employees, City Of Greer, Greenville School District, Retired Seniors on Social Security have not received a Cost of Living increase in two years, and thousands of other South Carolinians did not receive an increase. Many Greenville County citizen/taxpayers are struggling to keep their jobs, homes, pay their bills and taxes.

Pay Rates (including benefits) Average Compensation in 2009 for Federal employees was $123,049 (just increased to $150,000 in 2010), State and local ---$69,913, and the Private sector -- $61,051. All government salaries and benefits should be frozen until they do not exceed the average compensation in the private sector. Source: Bureau of Economic Analysis.

WE REQUEST THAT GREENVILLE COUNTY COUNCIL RESCIND THE SALARY INCREASE INCLUDED IN THE RECENT TWO YEAR BUDGET AND FREEZE SALARIES UNTIL THEY COMPARE WITH THE PRIVATE SECTOR.

The Council Member District Discretionary fund is nothing more than a Slush Fund, used as walk around money for vote buying Earmarks. The funds currently included in the Greenville County budget was ruled unconstitutional by a South Carolina Supreme Court years ago following a law suit in two other counties. In 2003 the Attorney General’s Opinion clearly stated that delegation of legislative authority was illegal. February 10, 2010 Judge Few ruled that the Slush Fund was illegal. Judge D. Garrison Hill’s order clearly states the illegality of the Slush Fund and orders the county to pay the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation legal fees of $59,612.50 and cost of $471.65. We now understand the Greenville County Council plans to spend an untold amount of taxpayer funds on lawyers to “DEFEND THE INDEFENSIBLE”.  It is clearly an improper expenditure and it is a waste of taxpayers’ funds to continue to defend against Judge Hill’s order AND TO CONTINUE THE SLUSH FUND.

Under the provisions of the Freedom of Information Act, we request the following information from the records of Greenville County.

(1) Names of council members who voted to continue defending against the lawsuit after the Judge Few ruling.
(2) Names of Council Members who voted to appeal Judge Hill’s order.
(3) The total amount of taxpayer funds the county has expended in legal fees defending the illegal Slush Fund.
(4) Names of lawyers and/or law firms used to defend Greenville County Council.
(5) Amount of taxpayer funds budgeted for each council member during the current year for the council discretionary fund.
(6) We request an opportunity to review the expense report records for last year and the current budget year for each council member.

WE REQUEST THAT COUNTY COUNCIL DROP THE DEFENSE OF THIS LAW SUIT AND ABOLISH THE COUNCIL MEMBERS DISCRETIONARY FUND. INDIVIDUALLY, COUNCIL MEMBERS DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND ANY OF THE SLUSH FUNDS. COLLECTIVELY, THEY ARE RESPONSIBLE AND ACCOUNTABLE FOR EACH AND EVERY EXPENDITURE.

It has been reported that Greenville County Council authorized the expenditure of $400,000 for the development of the Comprehensive Land Use Plan. We have attached a copy of a previous letter concerning our objections to this plan.  

The development of the plan is a state unfunded mandate on each county. We request that the county join us in having this state requirement repealed.  

We reserve the right to review the requested information in the offices of Greenville County Government prior to any charges.

Sincerely,


Robert G. Taylor

Cc; Greenville County Council Members and County Administrator      
Greenville County Legislative Delegation
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