Citizen Ed Paxton, who gives Greenville County Council carefully worded advice at almost every meeting, set his aim on the two-year budget to be approved at the June 16 meeting with little public knowledge of what is involved.
Paxton has accused Council members of allowing the County Administrator to make decisions on large expenditures without the elected representatives of the people and their constituents being fully informed.
According to Paxton, the budget under consideration contains $20 million for construction of a building the Council has not publicly approved.
The County Administrator and certain members of Council are apparently working toward building a high-rise office building for county offices. It has been alleged that mayor Knox White and insider developers want the site of the current County offices for development, making it necessary for the County to move.
Another scheme going on behind the scenes with the Administrator and the former Greenville Hospital system involves transfer of EMS services from the county. Executives from Bon Secur Saint Francis have complained frequently of what appears to be “secret deals.”
Paxton complains that citizens are not given enough information about the budget and not enough time to provide input.
On June first, the budget had not been made public to the Council or to citizens although the Council voted to approve it on second reading.
Third and final reading is scheduled for June 16. A 30 minute public hearing will be held on that evening just before the final Council vote to allow for public input. Citizens who sign up to speak will be given only 3 minutes each to make their points. Paxton alleges that this time limit is inadequate and ridiculous.
The comments by Paxton were a public embarrassment to Council, forcing the Council Chairman to schedule a budget workshop
Tuesday, June 9th.