Donna Rainey - Ward 3 Report

Council Meeting  Dec 9, 2024

Was notified that this blog had hit the 1000 views mark and I forgot to post the milestone that was achieved about a week ago. 1,079 visitors since Aug 13, 2024 was what it shows today.

I was unable to attend the Nov 11th worksession or council meeting due to being out of town.  This post is to let you know how I would have voted and why.

My apologies for the length of this but I want to present the facts!

Voted YES:  Ordinance 2024-09 - to amend fiscal year 24/25 operating budget to authorize a lease/purchase agreement, series 2024 in the principal amount of not exceeding $2,600,000 relating to the authorizing the execution and delivery of various documents including the leases/purchase agreement; and other matters relating thereto. (Second Reading) 

The City of Easley will hold public meeting, open house style, to discuss the writing of a Unified Development Ordinance for the City. There will be discussions and input around the regulations within the Zoning and Land Development ordinances. 

Council Meeting - Sept 9, 2024

I have been thinking a lot about the ‘cancelled changing the form of government’ and feel the decision was not for the mayor alone to decide. I also feel this should have been by council vote. Also, I believe the mayor handing it over to the citizens to petition was not an ideal resolution either.  I am not sure if any of the council members were aware of the decision and saw it on Facebook just like I did. I campaigned for Mayor Talbert when I was campaigning. I brought up the change of government as well as the moratorium because I believed it was the right thing to do. I also feel the voters expressed their agreement by voting her in as Mayor. It recently occurred to me the budget did not have ANY money allocated to the change of government. The change of government was not mentioned at any time during the budget meeting. Like me, the newly elected members were over-whelmed with trying to figure everything out and did not realize the omission. (There isn't a council school available and the outgoing council members did not attempt to transition information to the newly elected.) 

I started writing this with the anticipation of the September council meeting as I believed the change of government would be on the agenda due to the election in November and the requirement of two council readings. I was going to give an overview of all three forms of government because one of the mayor’s campaign promises was to change the form of government so that all the power is not in just one person.  She has referred the city should be under a council-manager form of government.  In the March council meeting, a representative from the Municipal Association of South Carolina (MASC) gave a presentation to council providing information on changing the form of government. (See Council Meeting 3-11-2024 on City of Easley You Tube) There was not an opportunity for the council to have a discussion on how to proceed with this since it was never on the agenda.