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Date Published: February 24, 2004
Budget cuts impact tourist attractions across state
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Item file photo
Bob Miller helps his granddaughters Katy, 8, left, and Hannah Seymour, 5, during a fishing derby at Lee State Natural Area in September.
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By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
South Carolina's current economic problems are having a significant effect on parks, museums and local services provided in rural counties across the state.
Lee County is no exception.
"We all need help," said S.C. Cotton Museum Executive Director Janson Cox. "Not just the cotton museum, but the Lee State Natural Area, the Lee County Arts Council, parks and playgrounds. There's not enough private money out there to make up the shortfall."
Cox said the state has cut $4 million in funding to state museums since 2001 and that only 6 percent of the museum's revenues originate from the state and county.
Cox said it is difficult to expect the county to spend more money for museums and parks.
"There's only a small amount of dollars," he said. "How you divide that money is not an easy task. Everybody's program is worthwhile."
Cox believes the state has a responsibility to provide support for museums, parks and services in the rural counties.
"In order to survive, the state should financially assist small museums," Cox said. "When I say state that includes the people. If every citizen in this community would come to the S.C. Cotton Museum once a year, then we wouldn't have any financial problems."
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The Mary McLeod Bethune Park in Mayesville, like many other tourist attractions in rural South Carolina counties, is suffering financially because of the state's economic woes and budget cuts.
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The cotton museum, which began operations in Bishopville in 1994, provides exhibits and educational programs designed to preserve the story of cotton and the working people responsible for its growth.
Cox said the cotton museum is an important source of revenue for the county with more than 8,000 visitors last year. Out-of-state and foreign visitors made up 26 percent of the museum's visitors and spent $624,111 in Lee County.
The Lee State Natural Area, too, does its share to help the community, drawing more than 90,000 visitors in 2003.
Marion Edmonds, S.C. Parks, Recreation and Tourism communications director, said the state park system intends to respond to any budget cuts in a positive manner.
"Nothing is to be gained by taking a hand-wringing attitude," he said. "Our focus is not on cutting back."
He said the state will rely upon a positive marketing campaign to increase usage of state parks, which will result in increased revenues.
Randy Cubbage, Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service agent for Lee County, said Gov. Mark Sanford's 2004 budget proposal includes a 41-percent cut in public service and agriculture and could result in the reduction or elimination of funds provided to the extension service.
At a recent meeting of cotton growers held at the cotton museum, Cubbage asked farmers for their support.
"We need your help," he said. "If we provide support and assistance to you that you need, then we are asking for your support. Let the members of the House and Senate know how you feel."
Cox said it is important for the public to know the importance of services and programs such as the extension service. "Clemson Extension provides so much training, technical assistance and education programs to the farmers and to the people of this community," he said.
The Opera House of Bishopville, programs provided by the Lee County Arts Council and the Arts-in-Education programs in the Lee County schools receive special funding from the S.C. Arts Commission.
Dr. Richard McLeod, chairman of the Lee County Arts Council, said the funding is small but important. In 2003, the Lee County Arts Council received $3,238 and the Lee County School District received $9,285 in Arts-in-Education funding.
"As proposed in the initial budget by the governor, the grant funds to the Lee County Arts Council and the school district will be reduced," said Felicia Smith, regional arts coordinator for the S.C. Arts Commission.
Carrie Gass, vice chairwoman of Lee County's chapter of the National Council of Negro Women, said the state's economic problems have had a significant impact upon her organization's efforts to maintain and upgrade the Mary McLeod Bethune Park in Mayesville.
"We are in dire need," she said. "We are struggling to maintain the park. We have had to borrow money to complete the project we had begun."
Gass said the park does not receive annual allocations from the county or state.
"We've been asked to be put in the county and state annual budgets," she said. "We have received grant monies from the state in the past, but they were one-time allocations."
Gass added that whenever regular budget items are being cut back, it becomes difficult to be added to the budget or to receive special allocations.
For the past three years, Cox said, the operating expenses of the cotton museum have been greater than the revenues generated.
"We have been going into our reserve balance each year," Cox said. "Our reserve balance is almost gone."
Cox said the museum's board of directors wishes to remain in Bishopville.
"We have been made an offer to relocate to the coast," he said. "This is the land of cotton. This is where the cotton museum belongs."
Cox said the problems facing the museum are serious.
"It may come to choosing between closing the doors or relocating," he said. "I hope it doesn't come to that."
State Rep. Grady Brown, D-Bishopville, said it is difficult for rural counties to receive funding for programs and facilities.
"As I have been saying, 10 counties are running this state," Brown said. "Others are trying to survive."
Brown said he believes the state has a responsibility to support rural counties.
"I fully believe that the state should support each of these entities to the best of its abilities," said Brown, referring to the cotton museum, the Mary McLeod Bethune Park, the Lee County Arts Council, Clemson Extension Service and Lee State Natural Area. "Our county would be so much poorer and not just in dollars without these fine organizations and tourist attractions. With our state's focus on tourism, I believe we should commit as many dollars as possible to our rural tourist attractions."
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March 30, 2004
