Editor

Winnsboro Town Council approved the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2008-2009 budget Tuesday night.

The second reading and a public hearing on the budget is scheduled for Tuesday, June 17 at 6:15 p.m. at the Town Hall.

Council had to deal with a $600,000 shortfall in utility revenues due to the closings of three plants that are utility customers of the Town.

Highlights of this budget:

Utility rate increases, 4% for gas and electric, 10% increase for water and 8% increase over basic rates for sewer;

$10 per month garbage collection fee, which will be included on property tax as a service fee and not on the monthly utility bills;

Reduction of the council’s crime prevention funds to $1,000 each (the councilmen and the mayor formerly had $3,000 each for their district in this fund) and a reduction of the Council’s contingency fund from $15,000 to $11,000;

Deletion from the Mini-Grant budget those groups and entities that failed to comply with the eligibility requirements for the grants;

No new Mini-Grant requests will be funded. The remaining entities and

agencies will be funded at 80% of the amount approved in Fiscal Year 07-08;

Inclusion of a 2% cost of living adjustment for Town of Winnsboro employees.

In other business, newly-elected state Public Service Commissioner Swain Whitfield visited council to thank them for their support during his election to the PSC.

“When you leave Winnsboro Town Council, there is life after town council and you never know where it might lead,” said Whitfield, who is a former member of Town Council.

“It’s been an experience and a process that I had to go through and I’d like to thank Mayor Gaddy and council member Marcia Bonds for sending a few calls and emails (to the Public service Commission election authorities).

“Never, ever underestimate the power of this small town and who we know and what we can do around the state; we’ve ot a circuit court judge, we’ve got an administrative law judge, we just recently elected a family court judge...a lot of times the bigger counties will tell you, forget about (getting any programs or recognition) from your area, because yu don’t have the population base, or you don’t have this or that...never underestimate Winnsboro and the folks from Winnsboro, and who our people know.

“There’s nothing like growing up in a small town, and nothing like digging back to your roots when you need to,” Whitfield said.

“I’m proud to be from Winnsboro and proud of what you folks do, and I’ll be proud to serve you in Columbia on the state level.”