The “public hearing” held at the Dillon County Council meeting on Wednesday, June 28th, is perhaps one of the most shameful displays of government in action that has ever been witnessed in Dillon County’s history.
The public was technically allowed to speak, but the constant interruptions by the chairman, did not allow the concerns of those who appeared before council to be heard.
He claimed that they were not speaking about the budget and were not following the established guidelines; however, how would anyone know as speakers were barely allowed to get a word in edgewise.
Although he addressed all speakers as Mr. and Sir, it did not cover up the belligerent attitude he had with some speakers or the way these people, your fellow citizens, were treated. It was a shame and disgrace for these citizens to be treated so very poorly.
Despite his claims otherwise, in our opinion, the chairman’s constant interruptions that he claims were justified did not allow the public to be heard, and the “public hearing” was nothing more than a sham. The public was definitely not heard.
The entire council and for that matter, the entire county, should be embarrassed that this fiasco was allowed to take place; however, as the county attorney, who said that he thought the speakers should be afforded their full time, stated, the chairman was running the meeting.
The public could have at least been given the pretense of being heard. We may disagree on the things that people say, but we should all agree on their right to say it. They could have let people have their say and the council could have still voted the way they intended to originally. It cannot be said that our current chairman has ever shied away from a controversial vote, and there’s something to be said for that fact.
However, this public hearing was a joke and some of the other recent actions by council should be a cautionary tale to all voters in Dillon County when it comes time to cast your ballots for your representatives in any public office.
Dillon County is on the brink of great things happening here. The inland port is coming. Hopefully, many industries will follow; however, it seems that there are some on council who appear to be determined to set us back and not move us forward. Industrial prospects are watching us. This is not the time to be playing political games, and these political shenanigans have got to stop. Our councils and boards need to work together for the betterment of this county, not try to undercut the other or try to one-up the other just because they can get away with it, and citizens should always be treated with respect and common decency especially in a public forum. We must call for a change for the better now from our leaders before the promise our county currently has is damaged beyond repair.