Richland County administrator issues statement on transportation program

On Friday, Richland County Administrator Leonardo Brown issued a prepared statement about the County’s Transportation Penny Program to ensure residents are aware the County is working with the South Carolina Department of Revenue (SCDOR) to address concerns with the program.

Brown gave the brief statement following the release of preliminary findings of an SCDOR audit. The audit pre-dates County staff taking over management of the transportation program in November.

Because of pending litigation related to the County’s transportation program, Brown did not take questions from the media. It is generally the practice of the County not to comment on pending litigation.

Following is the statement from Administrator Brown:

“I understand that there are many questions that are being asked concerning the preliminary findings of an audit that was recently conducted by the South Carolina Department of Revenue that have been released to the media.

“The purpose of the prepared statement that I will give today is to address what Richland County is actively doing to address the issues outlined in the preliminary report issued by the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Richland County is continuing to review and present information to the South Carolina Department of Revenue in an effort to resolve questions that have been raised concerning the Penny program.

“As the reported findings are preliminary in nature, we have no conclusory statements to make about the report at this time. We are committed to establishing, fostering and maintaining our identity as an open government and will make every effort to be transparent throughout this process. It is important to note that this audit is part of an ongoing pending-litigation matter between Richland County and the South Carolina Department of Revenue. Therefore, it would not be appropriate at this time to give any further comments, as this matter is pending litigation.

“I will conclude this prepared statement by making two announcements. First, anyone present who would like to receive a copy of this prepared statement may do so by speaking with our public information officer, Ms. Beverly Harris. Second, Richland County Council Chair Paul Livingston will follow up with a more detailed response at a later date.

“Thank you for your time and attention this morning. This concludes my prepared statement.”

In 2012, Richland County residents voted to approve the referendum for the Transportation Penny Program, which imposed a 1 percent sales tax. The program is set to collect $1.037 billion – which will be utilized for 22 years or until the budget has been depleted – for roads, bikeways, greenways and pedestrian safety improvements.

To view Administrator Brown delivering the prepared statement, visit richlandcountysc.gov and navigate to the archived recordings of County meetings.