IN SPORTS: Lakewood basketball plays host to Hartsville B1 PANORAMA Christian Charities celebrates 35 years Volunteer organization SERVING SOUTH CAROLINA SINCE OCTOBER 15, 1894 focuses on feeding hungry C1 WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 75 CENTS Haley confirmed as UN Ambassador Then-S.C. Governor McMaster takes over as governor nation letter immediately made Lt. Gov. Henry Nikki Haley testifies McMaster the 91st governor of South Carolina. on Capitol Hill in COLUMBIA (AP) — Gov. Nikki Haley re- Before McMaster was officially sworn in, Washington on Jan. signed Tuesday as South Carolina’s CEO to be- Haley addressed a crowd in the Capitol lobby. 18 at her hearing come the U.S. ambassador to the United Na- “There’s lots of work to do, but we have the before the Senate tions, giving the state’s helm to an early back- right person to do it,” she said about McMas- Foreign Relations er of President Donald Trump. ter. “It’s an absolute privilege and honor to Committee. Haley’s Haley turned in her resignation letter min- turn over the reins to you.” nomination was ap- utes after the U.S. Senate confirmed her as The South Carolina-born daughter of Indian proved. Trump’s Cabinet pick. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS Under the state constitution, Haley’s resig- SEE HALEY, PAGE A6 SCHOOL DISTRICT $22M loan a standard tax anticipation note Money needed earlier this year because of debt crisis BY BRUCE MILLS [email protected] Given its debt crisis and low general fund balance, Sumter School District will need to issue a larger operations loan than usual and also do it sooner than usual this year, according to outside finance consultant Scott Allan. Allan provided a briefing of his two weeks of work to date with the district to the board of trustees Monday night at the board’s regular work ses- sion. The work session was held at the district office with an overflow crowd of about 150 concerned residents on hand. After conducting a detailed analysis in his initial weeks of the district’s current cash and projections through June, RICK CARPENTER / THE SUMTER ITEM Allan told the board Monday Scott Allan, an outside school finance consultant, recently hired by the Sumter School Board to get a handle on how the district went $6.2 mil- it will need to issue a tax an- lion over budget last year, answers questions before a packed board room Monday night at the district office. ticipation note in the range of $20 million to $22 million and districts generally start to run looking at your prior years, timing: The district will need do it by June 30 because of its RECENT TAX ANTICIPATION low on cash in the fall and you’ve issued TANs for almost it before June 30 because difficult financial position. NOTES ISSUED BY DISTRICT issue TANs. Even school dis- that much, so it’s not an un- that’s when the district will School districts commonly tricts on solid financial stand- usual thing,” Allan said. have negative cash flow. Gen- issue TANs as a way to bor- Tax anticipation notes for Sumter ing with high fund balances However, Allan did say if erally, districts issue TANs in School District in last five years: row money in the early part borrow at least some money Sumter were better positioned August or September because of the school year for opera- 2016: $11.2 million for operational expenses with its general fund balance, they hit bottom in cash in Oc- tional expenses and pay it 2015: $20 million through TANs, and counties it could issue a TAN for less tober or November, Halligan back six to eight months later 2014: $18 million and other entities do so as money. The 2015-16 audit re- said. School districts in the in the spring once “anticipat- 2013: $18.7 million well, Halligan said. port released in December state issue TANs together as ed” property tax revenue is During the last five years, showed the district had gone a pool at that time through received. 2012: $18 million Sumter has issued a TAN over budget by $6.2 million in the South Carolina Associa- The scenario arises for dis- each year for varying the fiscal year ending June 30, tion of Governmental Orga- tricts because they have cash- amounts, ranging from $11.2 2016, and had a fund balance nizations as a means to cut flow needs throughout the nue is often not reimbursed million to $20 million, accord- at the time of $106,449. down on associated fees and year. Districts often get reve- until the spring, according to ing to the district. What is unusual about costs. nues from the state regularly school board attorney William “It sounds like a lot of Sumter’s TAN this year, ac- each month, but federal reve- “Bick” Halligan. Therefore, money, but going back and cording to Allan, will be the SEE LOAN, PAGE A6 County approves 2nd reading Mulvaney says benefit on temporary asphalt plants programs must be changed WASHINGTON (AP) — So- propose cutting Social Security BY ADRIENNE SARVIS tural conservation zones. cial Security, Medicare and or Medicare benefits for people [email protected] Sumter City-County Planning Depart- Medicaid need significant already receiving them. ment Director George McGregor said the changes to be preserved for fu- “I’m not making my parents During its regular meeting on Tuesday, applicant currently has a contract with ture generations, President go back to work,” Mulvaney Sumter County Council approved second South Carolina Department of Transporta- Donald Trump’s pick to head said. reading of a request to permit temporary tion to mix asphalt or concrete to make re- the White House budget office But, he added, younger work- asphalt or concrete plants in the county, pairs along Interstate 95 and other state told Congress Tuesday. ers should expect to work lon- after a discussion about possible revenue maintained roads that were damaged dur- Rep. Mick Mulvaney’s com- ger than their parents. He also for the municipality with taxation. ing the 1,000-year-flood of October 2015 and ments at his confirmation hear- said Medicare should be The request would amend the county Hurricane Matthew. ing stand in sharp contrast to means-tested, which means zoning and development standards ordi- He said the applicant intended to set up Trump’s campaign pledges not benefits would be limited for nance to make the temporary facilities its facility in an agricultural conservation to cut the programs. wealthy retirees. They already permitted uses in general commercial, Mulvaney, a South Carolina light-industrial warehouse and agricul- SEE COUNTY, PAGE A4 Republican, said he would not SEE MULVANEY, PAGE A6 VISIT US ONLINE AT CONTACT US DEATHS, B5 WEATHER, A10 INSIDE Information: 774-1200 Keith T. Gedamke Donald Ray Christian WARM WINTER DAY 3 SECTIONS, 20 PAGES the .com Advertising: 774-1246 Timothy T. Brooks Richard E. Lee Jr. Warm, sunny and nice VOL. 122, NO. 73 Classifieds: 774-1234 Billy Marshall McDonald Liddia F. Wilson today; tonight, warm Classifieds B6 Delivery: 774-1258 Mary H. Smith Louise K. Hickson News and Sports: 774-1226 with showers possible. Comics C2 HIGH 73, LOW 55 Opinion A9 Television C3 A2 | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 25, 2017 THE SUMTER ITEM Call: (803) 774-1226 | E-mail: [email protected] Connelly encourages political engagement BY KONSTANTIN VENGEROWSKY volved in the voting process,” he said. Before his election as chairman, ical history,” he said. “I told Priebus [email protected] “It was about people getting off the Connelly authored “Freedom Tide,” we ought to be talking to the base of sidelines and getting engaged, and which he described as “a book dedicat- evangelical voters.” Chad Connelly, Republican National standing up for what matters to them.” ed to inspiring Americans about their Connelly said out of 82 million peo- Committee national director of faith Connelly said he traveled for 165 heritage.” He is also founder and pres- ple who attended church on Sunday, engagement, encouraged people to get days last year, staying at cities across ident of the Foundation for American only 32 million voted in the 2012 Presi- involved in the political process dur- the nation, delivering the same mes- Restoration, a Christian-based politi- dential election. ing a speech at the Sumter Rotary sage of engagement. cal group. “That means 50 million people — who Club on Monday. “Wherever you are politically, you “I found myself thrust into the lime- were naturally involved and engaged “Our country needs have to be concerned about our na- light in 2011,” he said. “I did every po- and who cared about their faith and na- you like never before,” he tion,” he said. “We’re $20 trillion in litical show on every network on tele- tion — weren’t participating,” he said. said. “It’s about people debt, and that can’t continue.” vision.” In July 2013, he was appointed as like you and me engaging He said he was pleased to find out Connelly said that was how he be- the first national director of faith en- this nation once again when the national media reported that came acquainted with Reince Priebus, gagement for the Republican National and bringing it back to its November’s presidential election was former Republican National Commit- Committee. CONNELLY providence.” the highest evangelical voter turnout tee chairman, and current White Since then, he’s been to 40 states Connelly said before in American political history. House Chief of Staff in President Don- and spoken to more than 80,000 reli- November’s presidential Connelly, a native and resident of ald J.