County
approves SCC fund transfer

By NICOLE CARTRETTE
Staff Writer

The Columbus County Board of Commissioners approved Southeastern Community College’s request to transfer $78,400 from capital outlay funds into the operating budget Monday night.

The move comes less than two weeks after SCC President Kathy Matlock drafted a letter to the board pointing out the county did not increase the college’s maintenance fund last year, contributing to an $89,879 shortfall.

The college had already appropriated the portion of capital outlay funds allowable by law, but needed commissioners’ approval to transfer additional funds.

The college may not use state funds to pay utilities, housekeeping, maintenance workers, security and other expenses associated with facility and grounds upkeep.

The county appropriates both capital outlay and operating funds to the college. College officials said while the facility had capital improvement needs – such as buildings in need of roofing maintenance and repair – the balance in capital outlay was not sufficient to cover those projects and the money was needed in operating expenses.

“We have had this request before, this is not the first time,” Commissioner Sammie Jacobs said.
“How does this effect your capital outlay,” Commissioner Bill Memory asked.

“First and foremost we need to meet our operating expenses,” vice president of fiscal affairs Betty Jo Sanders told the board.

“What attributed to the $90,00 shortfall?” Commissioner Ronald Gore asked.

Sanders said the college had anticipated an increase in expenses and requested additional funding in the fiscal 2007-08 budget request from the county but received the same funds as the previous year.

The college was not short on what was appropriated but short on what was budgeted, Gore clarified.

Chairman James Prevatte pointed out that the budget document presented to the board last year by county administration indicated that the amount requested was what the board had appropriated, but SCC officials confirmed their request was for more funding.

“We were told at that time that’s what they requested,” Prevatte explained.

He pointed out the schools were funded at the same level and while some departments’ budgets were cut there was no cut to education.

“Needs have exceeded what their appropriation was,” Prevatte said.

Gore, who is plant operations supervisor for Columbus County Schools, asked if the college received low wealth or lottery funds from the state like the school systems do.

Dr. Matlock explained that the college did not receive such funds.

“SCC is a crown jewel of Columbus County. I don’t see how we can’t vote to do this,” Jacobs said.

“I stand behind what I said to the newspaper,” Prevatte said. “We do not tell institutions how to spend money. Our job is to fund not dictate how money is spent.”

His response was related to the county’s role in setting certain SCC employees’ salaries. Prevatte said the county does not set salaries.

Matlock’s letter pointed out that county funded employees did not receive a raise last year when state and all other county employees did because the county did not increase funds for the college.

In 2006, under pressure from the college, the county appropriated an additional $15,000 to provide for salary increases to employees.

That did not occur this year.

“It’s our duty to support SCC,” Memory added. “I wish we could do more. Administration (at SCC) is very competent,” he said, pointing out everyone needed to “spend money as wisely as possible.”

“If we had that quarter-cent sales tax we could do a lot more,” Prevatte added.

“The sales tax is the fairest tax,” Memory said.