Anderson County, South Carolina

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Contents

Anderson County is one of 46 counties in South Carolina.

[edit] Website evaluation

Main article: Evaluation of South Carolina county websites

[edit] The good

  • Council members listed and individual contact information is provided. Meeting schedule, minutes, and agendas available.[1]
  • Financial audits and budgets available.[2]
  • Zoning information[3] and building permits available.[4]
  • Administrative officials listed under respective departments.
  • The contract bidding process is online.[5]
  • Tax assessments and other tax information is available online.[6][7]
  • Information on how to make a public records request is provided on the site.[8]
  • Lobbying statistics and information are posted on activities from 2002 to 2008.[9]

[edit] Website upgrade

The County updated its website in June of 2009. The website took additional steps by posting their checkbook register and credit card accounts.[10] Comptroller Eckstrom has also offered online space for small cities and counties to upgrade their websites by putting this type of information on his own Web site, to remove cost as an obstacle.[11] The town of Irmo and Eckstrom signed up to also get the upgrade.

The county has also entered competing with 15 other counties in the state for best project during the annual South Carolina Association of Counties conference.

"Anderson County is looking back to our roots: a government of the people, by the people, for the people and we want to go a step further and bring it to the people. We want to change the conversation from what it has been --inherent distrust of government since pretty much the beginning of government--to how we can work together." said Angie Stringer, public information director.[12]
Working for accountable government now


[edit] Freedom of Information forum

In March of 2010, Anderson County help a Freedom of Information forum. Interium county administrator Rusty Burns, Jay Bender, attorney for the South Carolina Press Association, Senator Kevin Bryant-R and Sunshine Review's Kristinpedia were on the panel.[13]

[edit] Lobbying

Main article:South Carolina taxpayer-funded lobbying

Anderson County has reported $706,496 in lobbying expenditures between 2002 and 2008. During that time the received $8 million dollars in federal money and $1.3 million in state funds with most of the money going towards transportation projects.[12] In 2009, the county was no longer employing lobbyists or any lobbying organizations to raise money for the county, but still belongs to the South Carolina Association of Counties, which does engage in taxpayer-funded lobbying.[12]

Reported lobbying expenditures, 2004-2009 [14]
Year Amount spent on lobbying
2009 $20,000
2008 $140,000
2007 $220,000
2006 $160,000
2005 $100,000
2004 $40,000
Lobbying firms hired by Anderson County [9]
Firm Funds
Ferguson Group, LLC $181,345.78
Preston Gates Ellis & Touvelas Meeds LLC $479,649,86
Municipal Prosperity $45,000

[edit] Earmarks

Below is a list of earmarks that were granted towards Anderson County.[9]

2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 Total
Federal $1,500,000 - $2,980,500 $1,833,061 $1,447,135 - $300,000 $8,060,696
State - - - - - $500,000 $800,000 $1,300,000

[edit] Public records

Anderson County has several lawsuits pending regarding how requests for public records are handled. [15]

[edit] Bradshaw v. Anderson County

Erick Bradshaw Sr sued Chairman Eddie Moore in February of 2009 for not responding to a FOIA request within the allotted 30 days. Bradshaw requested 19 items, some of which were delivered in a reasonable time frame. In the FOIA response, Moore said the others would be delivered, but never were.[16] There is debate over whether a number of the items exist, including a list of employees council members wanted terminated.[17] The county asked that the court case be dismissed, but the dismissal was rejected.[18] A hearing about the case was scheduled for October 2009.[19]

[edit] Misstatement in FOIA response

Moore had to issue an apology to council member Gracie Floyd, after her FOI request response said that meeting minutes document didn't exist, when it did.[20] Floyd is part of a committee that is overseeing an investigation of the financial and legal matters of the previous county administration.[21]

[edit] Investigation into fraud

Citizens sued in February of 2009, due to the county hiring two investigation firms to looking to wasteful and fraudulent spending.[22]

[edit] External links

[edit] References

  1. ↑ Council
  2. ↑ Finance Reports
  3. ↑ Planning
  4. ↑ Permits
  5. ↑ Contracts and bidding
  6. ↑ Tax assessments
  7. ↑ Treasurer
  8. ↑ Public records
  9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 Lobbying
  10. ↑ Check Register
  11. ↑ Independent Mail, Anderson County’s open Web site lauded, June 23, 2009
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 Independent Mail, Openness is Anderson’s message at convention, July 29, 2009
  13. ↑ Independent Mail, Freedom of Information forum set in Anderson County, March 11, 2010
  14. ↑ Open Secrets
  15. ↑ Businessman adds lawsuit against Anderson County, Independent Mail, February 23, 2009
  16. ↑ Independent Mail, Businessman adds lawsuit against Anderson County, February 23, 2009
  17. ↑ Independent Mail, FOIA lawsuit against Anderson County heard, September 3, 2009
  18. ↑ Independent Mail, FOI case in Anderson moves forward, March 25, 2009
  19. ↑ Independent Mail, Hearing scheduled Wednesday in Bradshaw case, October 26, 2009
  20. ↑ Independent Mail, Floyd was told that minutes, approved Tuesday, did not exist, August 19, 2009
  21. ↑ Independent Mail, Moore apologizes to Floyd for misstatement in letter, August 21, 2009, check back for more information.
  22. ↑ Independent Mail, Anderson County Council sued; citizens seek restraining order, February 9, 2009
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