School board members have smoldering exchange on property taxes

Welcome to another meeting of the Berkeley County School Board.

Board members have been under fire recently from county officials and some taxpayers regarding the budget they approved last summer. The critics say the school board did not adequately anticipate the impact its budget would have on taxpayers.

The recriminations continued at last week’s meeting when Deputy Tax Assessor Wilson Baggett disputed Supt. Chester Floyd’s Nov. 30 remarks that the county was running a "misdirection play" regarding its own budget. During that meeting, Floyd said Berkeley County has benefited from a 1-percent local sales tax since 1997 to provide a credit to taxpayers.

"I question Dr. Floyd’s ability to understand simple tax credits," Baggett said. "Whatever impact on millage he may have designed through his epiphany, it has absolutely nothing to do with millage. Did any of you check to see what a sales tax credit does? Anyone who understands county sales tax credits knows that he doesn’t understand it."

Consequently, he urged board members to be skeptical of budget figures generated by the superintendent’s office.

"Have any of you verified any of the numbers that are coming through?" he asked the board. "Do not trust the numbers that you’re being fed. Please verify them before you approve any budget."

Floyd was compelled to answer Baggett.

"Some of my mental faculties and understanding of issues were called into question tonight and I feel a need to respond to them," he said. "It’s unfortunate that someone can look in my head and say what I do and what I don’t understand. My suspicion is no one other than me and the Good Lord know what I do and don’t understand."

Noting that he was a college mathematics major and a former math and physics teacher, Floyd said he was fully capable of doing the calculations.

"I do stand by what I said. I am absolutely convinced that the local options sales tax does impact the millage rate," he said.

District 5 Board Member Jim Royce joined the fray. Although he voted to approve the budget last summer, he now says the board found it difficult to discern the impact it would have on taxpayers. He said more conservative board members are needed to keep a lid on taxes.

"Nothing is going to change as long as these people are sitting on the school board," Royce said, motioning toward fellow members Jerry Prosser, Carolyn Lewis, Harriett Dangerfield and Kathleen Bounds. "So in order to get change happening and get taxes down, we will have to have changes.

"When has there ever been a budget passed in Berkeley County that we didn’t tell people up front that there was going to be x amount of increase?" he asked. "Maybe we were supposed to discern that from all these numbers that we were fed, but, unfortunately, no one knew. Maybe these people knew. Maybe they had their own little clique of liberals back in the backroom some place, but it was never stated out here. I’m going to keep saying it was not right, from here until November. To sit there and put that kind of financial burden on all property owners of Berkeley County was a sin."

Royce’s remarks drew a sharp retort from Frances Brewer, who represents Daniel Island on the school board.

"This saddens me, because we did get the information," she said. "Jim, I don’t want you to put your weaknesses [regarding] what you did or did not do and try to put that all on me. We had the information. Whether or not you read [it], I don’t know. I have a problem as a board member that you would lash out and say we need to be replaced because of your weaknesses. You never asked about a dollar amount when we were doing this budget."

Dangerfield said she also resented the criticism coming from the county assessor’s office.

"I don’t like being told that we’re being lied to as board members," she said. "To be told by people that represent you and me that we lied upsets me. Don’t go over to any other entity or board and insult people. It’s wearing thin. This board makes the best decisions for you and your children. I want you to understand that what we do is so very important and I can assure you that we’ve not been lied to."