Critics: King Day funds easy to find

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"I've found out that County Council will find money for anything they want to, and I think it's basically they do not want to find money for a Martin Luther King holiday," said Dr. S.C. Cureton, pastor of Reedy River Missionary Baptist Church and former president of the National Baptist Convention USA.

Several council members have said the county cannot afford the $134,000 they said it would cost to give its employees another holiday.

A review by The Greenville News of the county's budget shows it will spend $93,147 this fiscal year, which ends June 30, for employees' memberships and dues to trade organizations such as the South Carolina Association of Counties, National Association of Counties and the Governmental Finance Authors Association.

The county also is spending $43,939 for incentives and awards for county employees. The money goes to "reward people for a job well-done," said John Hansley, the county's deputy administrator.

Scott Case, the council vice chairman, said the money the county spends helps provide better service to taxpayers.

The incentives and awards budget for the County Council office totaled $1,522 this fiscal year. That money can be spent on an appreciation luncheon or a plaque or gift for service such as the clocks that were given to outgoing council members Bob Cook and Allen "Bunk" Johnson in January, council clerk Theresa Kizer said.

Trade publications such as the ones on case law for county attorneys or vehicle values for the auditor's office cost $91,728.

County employees' training, travel and conferences, which could range from traveling within the state to attend meetings to going to New York to meet with Wall Street rating agencies, totaled $611,696.

Council members have their own expense accounts, totaling $272,365.

Those accounts can be used for council members' office supplies or for travel and expenses for seminars they attend. They also can go toward infrastructure improvements in council members' districts such as speed humps, curbs or fire stations, Kizer said.

Some council members in the past have spent part of their expense accounts on branch libraries, school athletic fields and concession stands, she added.

Case said the county should not take money away from things such as professional organization memberships because those memberships help employees improve county services.

He said the county should not stop giving incentives and awards to employees "for going the extra mile in lieu of an additional holiday for everyone."

"It comes down to, pretty simply, that question. Do you want us to eliminate those things that enhance services to taxpayers ... in lieu of an additional holiday off for every county employee? The conclusion I reach is no."

Community pressure

Community pressure on the council has increased during the past few weeks, culminating in an impromptu sit-in two weeks ago by the Rev. Jesse Jackson and dozens of others in the council's chambers.

The demonstration began in response to the council's refusal to extend the 30-minute time limit for public speaking to allow Jackson and others to speak on the holiday.

County Council members have said they will not support the King holiday, partly because of the cost and partly because some members believe another holiday is not needed to celebrate King and his accomplishments.

County officials said the $134,000 would cover "paying those folks that have to work on a holiday" such as sheriff's deputies and EMS and Detention Center personnel, County Administrator Steve Stewart said.

He said the $134,000 would be in addition to what the county already spends on salaries, which includes 10 current holidays and fringe benefits for its 1,966 full- and part-time employees.

Case said the council "recognizes the accomplishments of civil rights," but he believes the floating holiday is the best system because employees are free to choose how to use it.

The council recently voted down a resolution honoring King that wouldn't have cost anything.

Case, who voted against the resolution, said it was rejected because there were questions about whether holiday supporters would support it and because portions of the resolution went beyond recognizing King's civil rights accomplishments.

County surplus

The county's unreserved fund balance, which county officials estimated at more than $49.9 million at the end of the 2002 fiscal year, is a potential source of funding for the holiday, said Paul Guy, president of the Greenville branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

But Case said the reserves are needed to maintain the county's AAA bond rating, avoid costly tax anticipation notes and pay for capital projects such as the landfill.

"If we have additional money so that we can provide an additional paid day off for county employees, it's time to give money back to taxpayers," he said.

Councilwoman Lottie Gibson said the council can add the holiday, especially since it spent money to form the Greenville Area Development Corp., a new economic development arm.

The council formed the group in spring 2001 to replace the Greater Greenville Chamber of Commerce's economic development efforts.

The council's Public Safety Committee has delayed a decision on the King holiday for up to six months to form a citizens' task force to discuss the issue.

This year, 23 employees took a floating holiday on the third Monday in January, the day federal, state and city of Greenville offices are closed in honor of King. Another 84 employees took vacation that day, according to county human resources records.

Ennis Fant, a former council member and past president of the Greenville NAACP, said he's not going to tell the county how to spend its money.

"That's not my job; that's what they're elected to do. What may seem frivolous to me may seem important to someone else," he said. "Our focus is on the importance of the MLK holiday."