Enough is enough. It’s time to reform Richland County government

By Stan Smith
Republican for Richland County Council

Misspending. Mismanagement. Improperly awarded contracts. Allegations of corruption.

The state Supreme Court’s ruling last month that Richland County was illegally spending sales tax revenue is the latest in a long, demoralizing string of controversies, crises and embarrassments facing county government.

Each new black eye offers a lesson about the need for better, more accountable government in Richland County. You see, these things don’t keep happening here by mere chance. They’re a symptom of a larger problem… a consequence of a system which is secretive and unaccountable, which operates with little oversight and lax standards for financial management.

Unfortunately, the politicians don’t seem to heed these lessons. Time and time again, County Council has resisted the changes needed to clean up county government and prevent such failings in the future.

Enough is enough. Real, meaningful reforms are in order. Here are a few specific measures I believe would inject much-needed accountability into the system:

• Procurement reform. Recent news articles have exposed a flawed process for awarding vendor contracts. There have been improperly signed contracts; contracts awarded to the highest bidder, rather than the lowest; contracts awarded without bidding at all; and accusations of cronyism. The county must adopt a uniform, clearly spelled out, consistently applied procurement policy. And all major contracts should be competitively bid to ensure fairness and give taxpayers the best value for their money.
• Open meetings. Politicians tend to walk a little straighter when they know we’re watching. To that end, the county must revise its meetings policy so important discussions are held in public view, not behind closed doors. Currently, council makes liberal use of secretive “executive sessions” to keep information from citizens. (Note: State law never requires discussions to be held in executive sessions, but merely allows it… and even then under limited circumstances.) An open-meetings policy would mean greater accountability and a more informed, engaged public.
• Online fiscal transparency. Richland County must do more to show citizens how their hard-earned dollars are being spent. For one, public records such as vendor contracts should be posted on the county’s website.  And all recipients of county grants – such as hospitality tax grants — should provide regular, itemized reports showing how those dollars are used. This is especially important following last year’s indictment of a grant recipient for misusing the money.
• Easier access to public information. Multiple complaints and lawsuits in recent years have accused Richland County of flouting the state’s Freedom of Information Act – from taking too long to answer information requests, to unnecessarily charging citizens for records, to ignoring the requests altogether. That’s a shame. Withholding information helps create the kind of conditions that invite abuse and mismanagement. Richland County must overhaul its public information policy to ensure full compliance with the law, providing records promptly and at no cost.
• Citizen-oversight. Prior to the 2012 “penny tax” referendum, council promised that a special citizens committee would provide oversight of the expenditures. They effectively reneged on that pledge, but the idea is worth revisiting. In fact, it’d be wise to appoint “standing” citizen-oversight committees to serve as watchdogs on financial and construction matters.

Whether or not you agree with these proposals, we should at least agree that it’s no longer acceptable to simply sweep Richland County’s troubles under the rug.

The Supreme Court ruling is a wake-up call to raise the bar for county government. County Council must seize this opportunity to commit to long-overdue accountability reforms. When government is transparent and subject to oversight, public officials tend to put their best feet forward. They’re more responsive to their constituents’ needs and less likely to attempt to game the system.

The status quo can’t be an option. The people of Richland County – especially those of us in Ballentine, Chapin, Dutch Fork, Spring Hill, White Rock and Irmo – deserve much better from those who conduct public business in our name.

Stan Smith is a Republican candidate for Richland County Council.