LOCAL: Lee property, vehicle owners will likely start paying higher taxes beginning in July A2
GOING FOR TWO Manning-Santee looks for back-to-back wins as Post 68 faces Camden.
LOCAL: United Way encouraging people to get involved in their communities A2 VOL. 118, NO. 201 WWW.THEITEM.COM
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THURSDAY, JUNE 13, 2013 | SUMTER, SOUTH CAROLINA
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County deadlocks on budget BY BRISTOW MARCHANT bmarchant@theitem.com Sumter County’s schedule for passing a new budget hit a snag Tuesday night when a spending proposal including a property tax increase failed to pass second reading. Council members deadlocked 3-3 on the motion to pass the budget with one
member, Councilwoman Vivian Fleming-McGhaney, abstaining. Because of the inconclusive FLEMINGvote, the proMcGHANEY posed budget failed and council will have to begin its budgeting process over again, including three
new readings, on Friday. Council was faced with a vote on a 2.15-mill increase in ordinary county property taxes, adding an additional $1.5 million to the $44 million budget for fiscal year 2013-14. That proposal was unpopular with most council members and with members of the public who spoke during a public hearing before the
budget vote. Council Chairman Larry Blanding joined Eugene Baten and Naomi Sanders in voting to approve the budget Tuesday night. Councilmen Artie Baker, Jimmy Byrd and Charles Edens voted against the proposal because of the millage increase. Fleming-McGhaney said she was prepared to reluc-
Team Shaw builds homes for needy
tantly vote for the increase, but abstained from Tuesday’s vote and instead called on her fellow council members to reach consensus on the issue before the next vote. “It’s not fair to our staff that we appear to be divided, after they worked to present a balanced budget. We need to SEE BUDGET, PAGE A7
COG hires executive director BY KEN BELL Special to The Item
PHOTOS BY SENIOR AIRMAN TABATHA ZARRELLA / U.S. AIR FORCE
Robert Brown, Habitat for Humanity construction director, drills a hole in the attic of a Habitat home in Sumter on May 29. Hundreds of Shaw service members volunteer to build and repair homes in the local area.
Hundreds of Shaw service members volunteer for Habitat for Humanity BY SENIOR AIRMAN TABATHA ZARRELLA 20th Fighter Wing Public Affairs Special to The Item
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n the United States, 48.5 million people are living in poverty. Worldwide, 827.6 million people live in urban slums with unclean water and no sanitation, taking more than 1.8 million lives of children every year. As the cost of living rises, minimum wages aren’t keeping up, making it challenging to afford decent housing. Hundreds of service members at Shaw Air Force Base have partnered with the community to volunteer for Habi-
20 N. Magnolia St. Sumter, SC 29150 (USPS 525-900)
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tat for Humanity in Sumter to work on the 116th home for a local family. Habitat is a charitable organization that builds or repairs homes for people around the world who live in unsanitary and/or unsafe living conditions. “We are currently working on a subdivision which will contain about 50 homes built by volunteers of Habitat,” said Bob Brown, local Habitat for Humanity construction director. “This will be our 116th home in Sumter.” The organization has a lot of Sumter residents and a Habitat for Humanity volunteer Nathan Davis secures a cabinet for a newly built Habitat home.
SEE HABITAT, PAGE A10
DEATHS Charles Webster Sittipol Prommasit Annie M. Dingle Gerald R. Evans Marie F. Kennedy Wanda Benenhaley
The Santee-Lynches Regional Council of Governments has announced the hiring of a new executive director. Michael Mikota II, a native of Gaffney, will assume the role on July 1. Bill Painter, chairman of the search committee, said Mikota was selected from a pool of more than 40 potential candidates. MIKOTA “We knew we were going to have a tough time replacing Jim Darby,” Painter said. “Actually, you can’t replace Jim Darby.” Darby retired in April 2012 after serving 25 years as the COG’s executive director. Painter said Mikota is an excellent choice. “We are fortunate to attract someone with all of his experience and capabilities,” Painter said. Painter said the committee ran advertisements in most daily newspapers across the state, as well as professional trade periodicals and The Charlotte Observer. “Through that, we reached a fairly large group of people,” he said. “We wanted someone who understood the global market and the future of that market. We also decided to only consider candidates with at least a master’s degree.” Sumter City Councilman Robert Galiano said he was also impressed by Mikota’s accomplishments. “When you look at his résumé you see a pattern of hard work and success,” Galiano said. “He’s definitely the caliber of person we want representing the area.” Mikota graduated cum laude from Wofford College with a bachelor’s degree in English. He
Jane C. Mayes Zaii-Vion Walters Betty R. Peterson Samuel Richardson Gwen I. Grant B4
SEE MIKOTA, PAGE A7
OUTSIDE STORMS AHEAD Thunderstorms roll in this afternoon, tonight HIGH: 98 LOW: 68 A10
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