BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C.–In a joint release today, top leaders from Berkeley, Charleston and Dorchester County governments called for immediate action by the State Legislature to restore proper funding of the Local Government Fund and announced their support for H.3429, a bill by Representative Eddie Southard (R – Moncks Corner) that would restore state’s funding to 4.5 percent of the previous year’s state revenues.
Since 2009, the Local Government Fund has not been fully funded by the state at its statutory formula set in 1991. This means that county and municipal governments have had to make up the shortfall to cover state government services such as court systems, animal shelters, jails, libraries, trash collection and election offices.
Charleston County Council Chairman Elliott Summey (R – Mount Pleasant) said the state’s push of unfunded mandates to local governments is similar to the federal government’s push of Obamacare to state governments.
“The hypocrisy of our state government is absurd,” said Summey. “The state screamed at the top of its lungs and rightfully so against the unfunded federal mandates of Obamacare, but it has no complaints forcing local governments to cover their mandated services. ‘Do as I say, not as I do.’ We simply cannot cover these costs any longer.”
Citing a shortfall in the tri-county area of over $40 million in state funding over the past 7 years to cover state mandated services, Berkeley County Supervisor Bill Peagler stressed the tremendous burden local governments are facing.
“Fairy tales are for kids, not government,” said Peagler. “Money trees only exist in fairy tales. We can’t pick $40 million off of a money tree. When the state does not provide the resources promised to cover its mandated services, local governments and taxpayers are forced to cover the difference. Representative Southard’s plan will provide the state resources needed to continue providing these services.”
Dorchester County Council Chairman David Chinnis (R – Summerville) thanked some members of the local legislative delegations when he noted what this means to the future of the services.
“We have had constructive dialogue with our county delegations and appreciate their acknowledgement that this needs to get fixed,” said Chinnis. “But, acknowledgement and taking the correct action to fix the problem are two different things. We need all members of the state legislature to not only realize this decision affects every citizen in the state but also to ensure the state provides the necessary resources, be it financial or operational. If they do not want to fund their mandated services, they can take control of them again.”
All agreed that raising county taxes to cover the shortfall is not desired.
“Raising taxes to fund state mandated services is not something that our County Councils want to do,” said Peagler. “What the state needs to understand is that inflation is real. The costs of providing the mandated services on behalf of the state have increased and will continue to increase. If the state wants counties and municipalities to fund its services, then the state needs to provide the necessary and promised resources to allow us to do so without further burdening our taxpayers. Plain and simple.”
(Source: Press Release)
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