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Article published Oct 2, 2003
Hammond unhappy with panel's plan for
reorganization
ROBERT W. DALTON
Staff
Writer
Secretary of State Mark Hammond has a recommendation for a
committee that has recommended eliminating his office."If it ain't broke, don't
fix it," Hammond said Wednesday, one day after the Governor's Commission on
Management, Accountability and Performance (MAP) issued its report.The
commission said eliminating the Secretary of State's office and giving its
responsibilities to the Department of Revenue would save about $250,000 per
year. It also recommended making the secretary of state an appointed position
instead of an elected one.Hammond, a Spartanburg native, was elected to the
office in 2002.Gov. Mark Sanford created the commission in June to determine
ways for state government to be more productive, efficient and cost effective.
It released the results of its four-month study on Tuesday."Four months is not
enough time to do a thorough review of the state government system," Hammond
said. "It might be enough time to review one agency."William Webster, the CEO of
Spartanburg-based Advance America and a commission member, was out of town
Wednesday and could not be reached for comment.Hammond said he met once with a
commissionsub-committee for about an hour to discuss his office's function, but
never met with the entire commission. He said the report's vague description his
office's duties shows that the commission didn't do enough work.According to the
report, "the secretary of state keeps and maintains various records and
documents of the state. The secretary is custodian of all acts and resolutions
that are passed by the General Assembly."All foreign and domestic corporations
that operate in the state, under the S.C. Corporations Act, must register with
the secretary of state. The secretary administers the S.C. Uniform Commercial
Code, including the registration of securities and the licensing of agents and
brokers."Hammond said the commission failed to address the 5,000 charities,
3,000 telemarketers, 700 employment services and 127,000 notaries his office
regulates. He also said the office has not registered securities or licensed
brokers since the mid 1990s.Hammond said that the office's performance speaks
for itself – it receives $960,000 from the general fund each year and brings in
about $3.8 million. He also said its duties would still have to be performed,
and he doesn't believe giving them to another agency would provide any
savings.Sanford spokesman Will Folks disagreed."Anytime you can isolate
government functions that are currently spread across different agencies and
consolidate them into one agency, you're clearly going to realize cost savings
and some degree of eliminating excess management," Folks said.Folks said the
report is just the "latest chapter" in Sanford's plan to restructure state
government."The governor held budget hearings all summer long on, among other
things, structural issues," Folks said. "It's something he spent the better part
of two years campaigning on."It's not a four-month process when you look at the
extended discussion," Folks added. "It's been a dialogue that was central to the
last legislative session, where Sen. (Glenn) McConnell and Speaker (David)
Wilkins back in April stood with the governor in showing support for the need to
restructure."Hammond also said the position should remain an elected one. He
said he believes the state's voters agree."I've traveled all over this state for
two years," he said. "I talk to as many people as any other elected official and
I find that people still want to vote and choose their leaders."The General
Assembly would have to approve eliminating the secretary of state's office.
State Rep. Bob Walker, R-Landrum, the head of the county legislative delegation,
said that's not something the delegation would support."Mark worked hard to get
there and he's done a good job," Walker said. "Unless he said this is what we
need to do, I don't think we're going to support that (office) being
moved."Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7223 or bob.dalton@shj.com.