County Admin Delivers Ominous Budget Preview
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2A OPINION 4A OBITUARIES 7A SPORTS 2B PUZZLES 3B BOOKINGS 5B CLASSIFIEDS QUOTE ‘All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.’ EDMUND BURKE Vol. 142, No. 19 NTWO SECTIONS e• 14 PAGwES s&PreESTAs BLISHsED 1874 75¢ MOTHER’S DAY TEA MAY 11, 2016 Darlington, S.C. A1 WWW.NEWSANDPRESS.NET Council hears of courthouse woes, landfill bond options the current courthouse must be excessive standing water and Honeywell proposed a $4,500 Darlington By Samantha Lyles County Council Staff Writer shored up in the meantime. At vegetation growth; and missing monthly service plan to per - chair Bobby [email protected] this May 2 meeting, council panels that allow birds and form preventive maintenance Hudson (right) The May 2 meeting of heard from Karen Harmon and wildlife into the system. and repairs. presented a Darlington County Council fea - Sean Kelly of Honeywell Additionally, numerous Council took this presenta - Building Solutions, who con - thermostats throughout the tion as information and took no plaque to tured two recurring topics: the ducted a needs assessment on building are not functional, action. Darlington need to issue a bond for the courthouse's heating and and many fan coil units (the Also at this meeting, council County Parks improvements and repairs at and Recreation air conditioning system. primary source of cooling in heard from Tyler Traudt of First the landfill, and the dilapidat - director Ken Harmon cited numerous courthouse offices) are in vari - Tryon Advisors regarding the McRae honoring ed condition of the Darlington mechanical issues: oil and ous stages of decline. proposed $3.5 million general his 20 years of County Courthouse. water in air lines throughout Estimated costs to address obligation bond to replace aged service with the Although the county has the building; oil leaks in the these problems were as fol - equipment and make improve - county formed a committee and con - pneumatic air compressor; a lows: $12,000 for a refrigerat - ments at the Darlington County PHOTO BY tracted engineers to plan con - non-functional air drier; poor ed air drier; $56,000 to replace Landfill and Environmental SAMANTHA struction of a new courthouse piping, wiring and insulation of the cooling tower; $133,500 to Services Department. LYLES and administrative facility, that the cooling tower; leaks around repair 89 fan coil units or project is still years away and the cooling tower creating $275,900 to replace them; also, COUNCIL ON 3A Darlington County Administrator Terence Arrington. PHOTO BY SAMANTHA LYLES County Admin delivers ominous budget preview “My job is to present you By Samantha Lyles Staff Writer guys with a balanced budget, [email protected] but that's becoming increasing - The financial outlook for ly challenging with the way the Darlington County is tight and revenue structure is set up and Florence Darlington Technical College Stingers Softball Team. bound to get tighter, according the fact that we're not making the decisions we need to make PHOTOS COURTESY OF FLORENCE DARLINGTON TECHNICAL COLLEGE to county administrator Terence Arrington, who took a to improve the existing infra - moment during County structure of Darlington FDTC heads to Council's May 2 meeting to out - County,” Arrington said. line some challenges that await Some upcoming expenses council during their upcoming can be factored in cleanly, like 2016/17 budget deliberations. next year's $87,876 increase in NJCAA World Series employee health insurance passage to the World Series by Arrington said that with a By Samantha Lyles stagnant fee structure, a minus - costs, but others – like manda - Staff Writer winning the Region X/District F tory institutional changes [email protected] tournament over the May 7-8 cule increase in allowable mill - age for next year (0.12% of the required by the State of South Ranked #14 in the nation, the weekend in Burlington, NC, tak - Carolina – could bring many ing three of four games through CPI, totaling about $15,000), Florence-Darlington Technical aging vehicle fleets and build - complications and unforeseen College Stingers Softball team is strong pitching and timely hitting. expenses. Former Darlington High ings, and a mounting pile of headed to the National Junior unfunded mandates from the “There are a lot of unfunded College Athletics Association School Falcon pitcher Ramsey mandates, things that we need Sherrill took the mound for all state, Darlington County needs (NJCAA) Division II World Series, to seek out and implement new to do that haven't been done,” starting May 16 in Clinton, four games, hurling a total of said Arrington. 450 pitches over two days. revenue sources sooner rather Mississippi. than later. With a record of 30 wins and BUDGET ON 3A 10 losses, the Stingers secured FDTC ON 6A Ramsey Sherrill City pledges $14,000 to PDRTA Darlington Soup Kitchen begins Saturday, May 14 proving free bus service to all their By Jana E. Pye By Jana E. Pye Editor patients. They give approximately Editor [email protected] $5,000 a month for this. [email protected] The dream to share God’s For the past few years, the Other contributors to the bus love in action comes to fruition Darlington City Council’s May service, in addition to the City of this Saturday, May 14, as the meeting has been a standing Darlington, include Darlington Darlington Soup Kitchen serves room only event, as patrons of the County School District Adult the very first meal at 8:00 a.m. Pee Dee Regional Transit Education, Florence-Darlington The principal organizer of Authority (PDRTA) gather pre- Technical College, and the mission, Lindsey Byrd of budget time to ask city council to Macedonia Missionary Baptist Church. New bus routes have First Church of God, shared that support the public DART bus. The been added for Lamar, Olanta, a hearty breakfast will be shared audience at the May 3rd meeting and Timmonsville, all areas that each Saturday morning. was smaller than past years, but jubilant as Mayor Gloria Hines are served by Genesis Healthcare. “We are so excited about Mayor Gloria Hines told helping people that need this,” shared that the city has decided to award $14,000 in funding. McNeil that she talked to Kevin said Byrd. “Not only can we Lane, manager of the new share a meal, we will be provid - “We know it is important to our residents,” said Hines at the Walmart in Darlington, and he ing much needed items to share told her he would donate $1,000 with people in need.” May 3rd meeting. “And with the new Walmart bringing jobs and to them. She also suggested that Organizers had first planned PDRTA contact McLeod Hospital to share a meal twice a month, more shopping to the area, we Location of the Darlington Soup Kitchen, 586 Broad Street, Darlington. Systems to see if they would con - but with so much support from need it more than ever.” PHOTO BY JANA E. PYE Chuck McNeil, executive tribute. the community the meal will be Other citizens in support weekly, each Saturday. The address the issue. In the mean - paste, towels and washcloths, • July 2: Freedom Baptist director of PDRTA, shared data with the council members. included: Hannah Dixon, who location is the former Builders time, the meals will be served socks, sleeping bags, and rain • July 9: Round O Baptist The bulk of the funding for bus shared that although she does not Supply Building at 586 West outdoors in the parking lot. jackets. • July 16: New Providence service to operate in Darlington use the bus system, she sees a Broad Street, the current loca - The First Church of God will Churches that have signed (Other churches have comes from federal funds at 63%, great neat for it for the communi - tion for the City of Darlington provide the first breakfast. Each up to serve have a tentative expressed a desire to help, but ty. James Stubbs, a resident of meal will be pre-prepared and schedule prepared: are not on the schedule at this followed by an equal share of street department. The building 18.5% of local share and state Darlington that is legally blind; he is currently experiencing a mold kept warm, and serving will • May 14: First Church of time.) Churches, organiza - has been employed by the begin at 8:00 a.m. God tions or businesses wishing to mass transit funds. Only 4% issue due to leaking from the comes from the farebox revenues. Florence Library System for over heavy rains in October, and the Byrd asked that anyone from • May 21: First Baptist be added to the ministry may 7 years, and moved from the community that would like Church of Darlington call the First Church of God for “We know the fare from the city has recently received bids to bus riders will not pay for the Hartsville after they disbanded to share items with the local • May 28: House of Refuge, more information: their bus services. “If it were not homeless population are House of Refuge Outreach 843-393-7942. service,” said McNeil. “But many are not blessed to have their own for this bus, I would not be able to encouraged to bring the items to • June 4: Trinity UMC Donations for the mission get to my job – I cannot drive.” He the location to be shared prior to • June 11: Free Will Baptist may be sent to: form of transportation like you and I do.” is a librarian in the Florence serving the meal. Bible Church First Church of God, 620 N Library System. Suggested items include: • June 18: Flat Creek Main St, Darlington, SC 29532 McNeil went on to say that Toiletries, clothing, toilet Pentecostal with Soup Kitchen in the sub - Genesis Health Care has been a paper, toothbrushes and tooth - • June 25: Central Baptist ject line.