Courtesy photo
ANSON COUNTY — In a County Commissioner meeting earlier this month, Finance Director Holly Berry informed commissioners the county was down roughly $14 million in a twelve-month period. During the same meeting, DHHS Department Head Brian Ellerby alerted the board to an unfolding crisis within his department: the much-needed unfreezing of one position and a salary increase for another who has been performing multiple roles outside of what is required by their job description.
Ellerby said, “We don’t have anyone doing our billing processing for us and then we don’t collect the money on the services that we provide.”
Commissioners were made aware the Health Dept. included the salary increase in their budget, which was requested but not approved, prompting Ellerby to make his request for board approval. The total cost of the salary increase, and needed new hire will fall somewhere around $7,000, he said.
Commissioner Joshua Ellerbe put forth a motion to approve the Health Director’s request. His motion was not seconded, and instead, Commissioner Robert Mims requested to hear from the county’s finance director, Holly Berry.
Before even getting to the podium, Berry said, “I do not recommend any just based on the current economic condition. I just looked today and one year ago our cash in the bank was $48 million. Today we are looking at $34 million.”
She went on to mention the $34 million was simply cash in the bank and not cash the county can assign and spend as needed.
“A lot of that [amount] is reserve. A lot of that is waste,” clarified Berry. “Over the course of six months, I’ve had to transfer more money to cover our operating [expenses], so that is very alarming to me.”
Commissioner Ellerbe said, “All the accounts that we have, I’ve never seen them. I would like to have all the accounts, the amount in every account that we have. Every account. Every account where there is assets in it for the county, I’d like to see a copy of it.”
Ellerbe next asked Berry what contributing factors she observed leading to this shortfall in the county budget.
She answered, “We are spending more than we are bringing in.”
Commissioner James Caudle said, “The $34 million is not unrestricted either.”
Berry agreed, saying, “That is just cash we have. That doesn’t mean unrestricted.” Berry added, “My concern is just the financial. I understand your concern, I understand the importance of it, but I just have to continue to inform you where we have expended all capitol.” She continued, “We have committed with LGC (Local Government Commission) and what we are trying to do to keep from having such a big impact over the years.”
Chairman Jamie Caudle said he felt the board’s agreement with LGC needed to be honored.
“I think that is the most important factor of the whole thing is the LGC, because we can admit that if we continue to not follow the plan that we have presented to the LGC, they are not going to be coming asking this board what they can do, they are going to be asking LGC what they can do and where they can get increases for things. The LGC is going to be controlling the finances. We have got to stick to the plan on what we presented to the LGC,” said Caudle, referencing the county’s budget agreement with the LGC.
LGC provides financial oversight for over 1,000 divisions of local government in communities across the state.
With the county on schedule for an early audit this year in October, Caudle suggested holding off on casting any votes until the board is presented the audit and will then have a better understanding of where the county stands financially.
Commissioner Kyle Leary said he too would like to wait to vote on a salary increase until he had a better understanding of the numbers behind such an increase and the impact it might have on the budget moving forward.
“My question is how is that department is supposed to operate if someone chooses to step away,” asked Commissioner Ellerbe. He added, “Do we just think we can find somebody to do it? If we have somebody already there capable, and qualified, because what I have seen is we make decisions without financial advising from our financial director depending on what it was associated to.”
He went on to explain his concern the county will lose valuable employees if the compensation for their talents is not there. He also said he was concerned the Health Department will be unable to continue to operate if they should lack the ability to bill and recoup payment for the services they render.
He said, “If we do not finance this, then this department could have issues with actually bringing funding there, because that is one of the roles and responsibilities that is associated to this position.”
Ellerbe made his previous motion again to approve the salary increase and unfreezing of positions at the health department.
Though his motion was seconded this time by Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn, Chairman Caudle questioned the legality of the same commissioner making the same failed motion twice in the same meeting.
Speaking over County Attorney Scott Forbes, Ellerbe insisted his motion did not fail.
Commissioner Jarvis Woodburn, who seconded Ellerbe’s second motion, said, “That is the problem. We got a motion; it didn’t get a second. We went on talking about it. The motion failed because of the elapsed time.”
When Caudle suggested he was open to another commissioner making a similar motion, Woodburn announced he was now making the same motion as Ellerbe, who immediately seconded.
“Yes, so the first motion was not seconded, so the first motion failed due to lack of second. The same commissioner cannot bring the same motion back on the floor again. Now we have a motion by Commissioner Woodburn and seconded by Commissioner Ellerbe to approve the processing assistant five and the pay increase for the processing assistant three,” recapped Caudle.
Following the motion, Commissioner Lawrence Gatewood reminded the board that Lula Jackson, Director of DSS, recently came before the board to ask for approval to hire two pivotal positions. The board told Jackson at the time they would need to first hear from Berry regarding the financial situation of the county before deciding on her request.
Gatewood said, “If we are going to do it for the health department, my recommendation is that we need to do it for DSS as well.”
Caudle reiterated that there is a reason the hiring freeze is in place, to which Commissioner Mims reminded the board a motion was still on the floor. He said, “I feel like that we need to see how much money we all are talking. If this is something we are going to entertain and see where the impact is actually going to hit at.”
Caudle again said he could support the unfreezing of the processing assistant five position, but he could not support a salary increase at this time. Caudle stated concerns over the budget, the advice of the finance director, as well as his belief that all county employees are hard-working and worthy of a pay increase across all departments.
He said, “I want to give everyone a pay increase, but I know what Ms. Berry is saying when our finances are crunched, and we are stretched thin right now. We need to vote on the motion as it is on the floor.”
Ultimately the motion failed with four nays. Commissioners Priscilla Little Reid, Joshua Ellerbe and Jarvis Woodburn voted in favor of the motion, with Commissioners Kyle Leary, Robert Mims, James Caudle, and Lawrence Gatewood casting votes of dissent.
After the failed vote, Commissioner Ellerbe introduced a motion to unfreeze the needed processing five position only, seconded by Commissioner Little Reid. This motion passed with only Commissioners Mims and Gatewood in opposition.
