At the January County Council meeting, Council decided to build our own Edgefield County Animal Control Shelter.

Our Administrator and Council Member Rodney Ashcraft have met with citizens who were concerned about the County operating its own animal shelter. After meeting with them, adjustments were made to the proposal, including increasing the amount of money expected to operate the facility each year.
Construction of the new facility, which will be adjacent to the Maintenance Shop off Hwy. 23, should begin in a few months. It is expected to be operational this summer.

The goal of the facility is to have as many animals adopted as possible. In addition, a spade/neuter program will be administered to help reduce the number of stray or abandoned animals in the County.

We are pleased and excited that the Aiken SCPA has been working with us throughout this process and will partner with us to make our shelter successful.

Currently, any animal picked up by a Sheriff’s Deputy today is taken to the Aiken County Animal Control Shelter. We believe the adoption rate of our animals is very low in Aiken, which means more animals are euthanized. In addition, having the current animal control shelter in Aiken is inconvenient at best for citizens who want to retrieve a pet. Finally, it has gotten very expensive to send our animals there – it has increased from about $23,000 annually seven years ago to an estimated $67,000 this year.

From a pure financial standpoint, considering building cost, maintenance, reduced travel to Aiken, etc., building our own shelter will likely pay for itself in 7 years or so. From a convenience standpoint, citizens can more easily retrieve their animals since the shelter will be located on County land near our maintenance shop. And we will have a much better system for animal adoption.

Lynn Strom Officially Becomes the New Administrator in March; County Council Agrees to Consultant Contract with Roger LeDuc

County Council approved a contract for Lynn Strom to become the new Edgefield County Administrator.

In July, Lynn was chosen as the Assistant Administrator with the intention that she would be mentored by Interim Edgefield County Administrator Roger LeDuc, who has a great deal of experience in this area. Lynn’s first official day as the new Administrator is March 7. Congratulations Lynn!

The Council also approved a contract to keep Roger on as a consultant for Lynn or Council for the next year, beginning March 7. The Council only pays him for time used for County business. We appreciate Roger agreeing to help bridge the gap, if necessary, during this transition period.
In case you are interested, the arrangement since July of having an Assistant Administrator along with an Interim Administrator actually saved the County money!

Based on the salary and benefits of the past County Administrator, we are using less taxpayer money to pay two positions compared to one. In addition, when Lynn officially becomes the Administrator, we will still spend less money, even if we use Roger’s consultant contract.

‘State of the County’ Report Coming

I plan to pen a brief State of the County report to you, which will be published later this month. I will issue it as a special edition of this newsletter, and will share it with the media for publication as well.
Bringing County Government to You

The County Council wants to bring County Government to you.

Vice Chair Genia Blackwell and I want to see the County Council get out more to hear what citizens have to say on various issues. So, we plan to hold several called meetings across the County to do just that. We’ll publish the schedule in February, so please look for us when we are in your area. We’d love to have you at any of the meetings. We’ll likely schedule them for March and April.

Since the Council will be holding this “listening tour,” I will hold off doing my evening “chat” sessions during that time. These Council meetings being held throughout the County will take the place of what I’ve been doing. I’ll resume my “chat” schedule when we complete this tour of the County.
County Council meets with School Board

In December, the County Council met with the Edgefield County School Board.
In that meeting, we discussed the importance of education to economic development. We also discussed that there are good things going on in the Edgefield County Schools that sometimes get overlooked.

We also asked the School Board to continue their participation, individually and collectively, in our Edgefield County Strategic Plan.

We appreciate the School Board allowing us to be a part of their December meeting!

Intergovernmental Meeting Set for January 30

Each year, elected bodies and appointed Boards participate in the Edgefield County Governmental Meeting. This is our once-a-year chance as a group to tell about what each group is doing. In addition, we discuss future plans, and how we can better work together.
This year’s meeting will take place January 30 at the Masonic Lodge in Edgefield.

Edgefield County Strategic Plan Continues

In December, the two subcommittees of the Edgefield County Strategic Plan Steering Committee met.
The two subcommittees are Quality of Life/Education and Economic Development/Infrastructure. Both groups narrowed down their list of needs in each area. This month, the groups will meet to discuss what goals and objectives can be identified to reach the goals they will set.

All are invited to attend these meetings and provide input!

The group discussing Quality of Life/Education will be meeting at the County Administration Building in the Archives Office (124 Courthouse Square) on January 17 and 26, 6 p.m.
The group discussing Infrastructure/Economic Development will be meeting at the County Council Chambers (225 Jeter Street, Edgefield) met on January 5 and will meet again on January 19, 6 p.m.
Each meeting will feature experts as guest speakers on various topics so those who are making decisions will have the latest information on many areas of concern.

Once the subcommittees finish their work in February, the Steering Committee will complete the finalplan, which is expected to be presented to Council in March.

Coffee with the Chairman Continues

Thanks to those who have joined me for the early morning “Coffee with the Chairman” stops! I enjoy the feedback, and I appreciate the time taken by those coming in.
The next Coffee will be held in Edgefield at McDonalds, 6:15-7:15 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 12. I hope to see you!

Chat with the Chairman’ scheduled For Edgefield

In my next evening “Chat with the Chairman,” County Council Member Rodney Ashcraft will join me. We will meet with interested citizens at Edgefield Town Hall, Council Chambers, 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on February 13.

Remember, these are informal discussions – no speeches or anything. I’ll give plenty of notice where I’ll be, and no matter where you live in the County, you can attend! It’s a way for us to have two-way communication. Rodney and I look forward to seeing you.

Until next time,

Dean Campbell