Using a poker analogy, Cherokee County Interim Administrator Ben Clary told Cherokee County Council on Monday he doesn't want to count on cards that have yet to be dealt. That's why he opted to pay for a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for county employees without the $300,000 the county will likely net from the sale of property to Upstate Carolina Medical Center.

The land is a potential site for a cancer treatment center.

Clary said the county will use a projected $97,493 surplus in this year's budget and a $151,000 settlement with Charter Communications to balance his proposed $17,620,463 spending plan.

Council voted to approve the budget on first reading by a 6-1 vote. Quay Little was the lone dissenter.

Little said he voted against the budget since he was still awaiting copies of the Recreation District budgets from county finance director Mike Vassey.

The budget calls for a .95 tax hike, to 80.35 mills. In the county, 1 mill generates $147,413.

A property owner can expect to pay about $4 more in taxes for a home valued at $100,000.

The proposed budget represents a 2.5 percent increase over the current fiscal year's $17,144,000 budget.

The budget contains no additional funding for the Literacy Association or The Cherokee Historical and Preservation Society (CHAPS). The Literacy

Association requested an .8 mill appropriation or $118,000 and CHAPS asked for $25,000. The Literacy Association presently receives a $7,000 appropriation from the county while CHAPS receives no funding.

The spending plan holds the line on funding county operations, but includes a .6 mill increase the county collects on behalf of the public library and a .3 mill hike for the operations of the Cherokee County Recreation Department. There is also a .05 increase in the millage

to fund the Spartanburg Technical College's branch campus.

There is no proposed change in the millage rate to pay for the county's debt, capital building fund or capital projects fund.

The proposed spending plan funds a couple of new positions, including a part-time employee in the Solicitor's Office for assistance in the Worthless Check Enforcement Program. Clary noted the $9,800 expense is offset by the income generated from the program. The budget also pays for a victim's advocate officer in the sheriff's office. That expense will be recouped from the Victim's Advocate Fund.

A $21,000 administrative assistant position will be paid through a grant.

The budget also funds some capital items, including six police cruisers with a total cost of $135,000 and upgrades to a computer system at a cost of about $12,000.

Two more readings and a public hearing are required before the budgets go into effect July 1.