Councilman wants budget process to be more open

Cherokee County Councilman Bailey Humphries wants to see a more open budget process.

Humphries said he wants each agency which receives county funding, including the Cherokee County Recreation District, to appear before the county's budget committee.

"If they get county funds, then they should come before the budget committee," Humphries said. "I'd like to see budgets from every department."

Last year, Humphries said the budget committee didn't get a look at the recreation district's proposed expenditures and revenues.

"We just want to be able to account for all of our taxpayers' money," he said.

Cherokee County Interim Administrator Ben Clary said last week he planned shortly to being a review of the department heads' proposed expenditures. At first glance there doesn't seem to be a big-ticket item, he said.

"There is no major capital expenditure that we need," he said. "There is nothing earthshattering."

Clary will spend the next few weeks drafting a proposed budget.

Last year, Cherokee County Council approved an $17.1 million operating budget that contained an 8.6 percent tax hike.