In the Black — Just Not As Much Smaller Year-End Surplus Attributed to Errors in Earlier Projections
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IN SECTION: American Legion state tournament continues B1 PANORAMA ‘Like a ministry’ Sumter Senior Services’ new Feeding Sumter’s Seniors SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 program seeks donations C1 WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017 $1.00 SUMTER SCHOOL DISTRICT In the black — just not as much Smaller year-end surplus attributed to errors in earlier projections BY BRUCE MILLS health insurance and retirement bene- “The biggest error was in the health Allan added it’s better to discover [email protected] fits caused the finance staff to over- insurance benefits, and the software the software errors now and make rec- project the district’s year-end balance just didn’t calculate it right,” Allan said. tifications moving forward. Allan also The finance leaders of Sumter sheet by about $800,000. So, instead of “And it’s a real difficult said since he started with School District still project the district closing the books on fiscal 2017 with a thing to do.” the district, he has im- will wrap up fiscal year 2017 — after $1.1 million surplus as previously pro- Griner has been work- proved the finance de- all accruals — in the black, but just jected, the surplus will likely be about ing closely with Allan on partment’s budgeting not as black as they thought before. $289,000. the future payroll expen- processes, so potential is- Financial consultant Scott Allan Projecting future payroll-related ex- diture issue with the dis- sues are easier to resolve and new district Chief Financial Offi- penditures has been a consistent chal- trict’s software since he now. cer Chris Griner explained to Sumter lenge for Allan with the district’s fi- started his job last week. Ben Griffith, a private GRINER ALLAN School District Board of Trustees’ Fi- nancial budgeting software since he He explained the issue is business owner who nance Committee on Tuesday that er- began his consulting work in January. a new process being used serves on the board’s Fi- rors in the previous estimates of un- In his previous experience, Allan has by the software company as well, and nance Committee, suggested the district paid expenditures — also known as used a different accounting software the district will need to ensure it’s encumbrances — for employees’ system. technically working correctly. SEE DISTRICT, PAGE A6 Rocking out during a visit to Sumter County to vote on permit fee increase BY ADRIENNE SARVIS [email protected] Sumter County Council passed a motion to increase building permit fees for proj- ects in the county after receiv- <UNICODE-WIN> ing a presentation from Sum- <vsn:5> ter City-County Building De- <pstyle:BODY COPY> partment Director Steve Campbell during Sumter County Fiscal, Tax and Prop- erty Committee’s meeting on Tuesday. Campbell said the depart- ment is missing out on reve- nues because some contrac- tors are taking advantage of re-inspection rates. He said some contractors schedule inspections although the building is not completed because they can receive a bonus by having the structure inspected by a certain date. The contractor’s company does not factor in if the inspec- tion is passed or failed, he said. A structure usually requires CAITLAN WALZER / THE SUMTER ITEM While visiting from Camden, left to right, Noah, Josh and Nicholas Canepa found a Sumter Rock at Swan Lake-Iris Gardens on Saturday. SEE FEE, PAGE A6 New joint mission tasks assigned to Ninth Air Force Editor’s note: In part one of this two- Zobrist told The Sumter Item. The chief of staff directed the Ninth “Several months later, he (Goldfein) part series, Ninth Air Force Command- Meanwhile, Chief of Staff of the Air Air Force to train the airmen who are gave a direction to add a new capabili- er Major Gen. Scott Zobrist told The Force Gen. David Goldfein and his going to deploy in the task force. ty to the USAF’s tool kit,” Zobrist said, Sumter Item how the Ninth Air Force predecessors have directed more focus Under Zobrist’s command, a group “to be able to lead a joint task force no longer has a role as the war-fighting on “jointness,” or understanding how called the Rear Group Support Ele- across the spectrum of conflict.” component of the Air Force Central the service branches — Army, Navy, ment was set up to train and prepare Other services have the ability to Command (AFCENT). Air Force and Marines the airmen to join the task force. provide a joint task force headquar- — fit together in joint The Ninth Air Force is now training ters on a moment’s notice, Zobrist In this part, Zobrist talks about the operations such as Oper- its fourth class, he said. said. At a division level, other services new tasks the Ninth Air Force has been ation Inherent Resolve “There are about 40 to 45 airmen, can take a division and deploy it for- assigned. in Iraq and Syria. and they are being trained and are de- ward and form the core of a joint task BY JIM HILLEY “He recognized that a ploying within a month to three force for missions such as humanitari- [email protected] lot of airmen were being months,” he said. “We give them some an aid in Haiti or controlling Ebola in ZOBRIST assigned to Combined education about how the joint world Africa. PART II: A JOINT WORLD Joint Task Force Opera- works, how we operate together as co- “Operation Inherent Resolve is an- tion Inherent Resolve alition partners in the international other joint task force that was stood Since 2009, the Ninth Air Force has headquarters, which is in charge of the environment, and specifically, we up, and that is a big fight,” Zobrist been a numbered air force with no wars in Syria and Iraq,” Zobrist said. train them for what they are going to said. “So, you can see the whole spec- war-fighting responsibility other than “A lot of airmen going down to that be doing when they go to CJTFOIR.” trum is covered.” providing ready forces to join in oper- headquarters who weren’t necessarily A second initiative was also as- ations in Iraq, Syria and Afghanistan, trained specifically for that mission.” signed to the Ninth Air Force. SEE ZOBRIST, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT DEATHS, B7 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Barbara V. Pettenger Herbert Gayle CARBON COPY 3 SECTIONS, 22 PAGES the .com Anne W. Humphries Sammie Lee Green Spotty showers and VOL. 122, NO. 202 Alfred Lee Solomon Rosa Lee B. McQuillar thunderstorms today, not Classifieds B8 Opinion A9 Frances L. Hickmon Harry Peterson so hot; tonight, spotty Comics C2 Television C3 Evelyn Porter Howard C. Spradley storms early, mild. Food C4 Ronnie Lee McFadden HIGH 90, LOW 71 A2 | WEDNESDAY, JULY 26, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] U.S. airmen inspire next generation abroad BY STAFF SGT. ZADE VADNAIS Viper F-16 Demonstration Team Public Affairs RIONEGRO, Colombia — A gentle but persistent breeze flows through the lush South American valley, offering re- spite from the often-oppres- sive heat its American visitors are used to. The serene beauty of the Colombian landscape is a sharply contrasting backdrop to the roar of an F-16CM Fighting Falcon as it takes to the skies, the deafening sound of its engine met with cheers of seemingly equal volume from the crowd of approxi- mately 80,000 people who have come to see the jet in action. Airmen from Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, Arizona; McEntire Joint National Guard Base; Shaw Air Force Base; Tinker Air Force Base, Oklaho- PHOTOS BY U.S. AIR FORCE PHOTO BY STAFF SGT. ZADE VADNAIS / SPECIAL TO THE SUMTER ITEM ma; and Travis Air Force Base, Members of the Air Combat Command F-16 Viper Demonstration Team greet attendees of the F-AIR COLOMBIA 2017 in Rionegro, Colombia, California, traveled to Rione- on July 15. The demonstration team, along with airmen from other units across the country, visited Colombia to showcase the capabilities of gro, Colombia, to participate in the U.S. Air Force while fostering a positive relationship between the U.S. and Colombia. the F-AIR COLOMBIA 2017 air show July 13-16. from McEntire to be used as “The U.S. Air Force is so big The trip was intended to static displays and two from and (the Colombian Air showcase the capabilities of the Shaw to be flown by the Air Force) is very small; we were U.S. Air Force while fostering a Combat Command F-16 Viper a little nervous they may be positive relationship between Demonstration Team. stuck-up,” she said with a the people and armed forces of “I always enjoy working laugh. “It was pleasant to see the U.S. and Colombia. with our allied nations,” said how friendly and easy to work “Colombia has a really good Maj. John “Rain” Waters, with the U.S. was.” relationship with the U.S.,” said ACC F-16 Viper Demonstra- The positive working rela- Maj. Carlos Nivia, director of tion Team commander and tionship between the U.S. and U.S. Air Force mission opera- pilot. “Each nation’s armed Colombian Air Forces proved tions at the U.S. embassy in Co- forces bring a unique perspec- effective at accomplishing the lombia. “They’re one of our tive to our efforts, but it was mission at hand; the air show closest allies in the region. We the people we met here who went off without a hitch, like to strengthen that mutual- really made this experience much to the joy of the partici- ly beneficial relationship by great.