By Betsy Finklea
The Dillon County Council Chairman Archie Scott continued his pursuit of the county’s bank statements at the last regular meeting of council.
Scott made a motion to direct County Administrator Clay Young to get a copy of the bank statements and financial summaries dealing with public funds and to have this information for council at the next meeting. He said if Young faces any opposition about the bank statements then he should come back to council with a report of the opposition encountered and then file the legal documents necessary to get this information.
Scott said he thinks it is crucial that council have this information as they are operating without a finance director and the recent audit report found a lack of internal controls. He said he thinks it is important when the council is spending taxpayer dollars to know where they are at financially. .
Councilman Harold Moody said he certainly favored operating in the open and was the councilman who strongly suggested publishing the financial transactions online. He said he went and talked with the treasurer, went over the bank statements, and did not see where there was a problem. He said he held the statements in his hands, and the treasurer explained them. “I have personally gone and seen them,” said H. Moody, who said that any of the seven councilmen can go to the treasurer’s office and see the statements.
Councilman Andrew Graves said that perhaps the full council could go look at the statements as a group so as not to take up so much of the treasurer’s time. He said he would like to set a date and go over to see them.
Councilman Buzzy Finklea said that he went over and looked at the bank statement and that the treasurer took up a lot of time explaining them.  He said if he had been just given the bank statements without the explanation he would not have been able to tell anything from them. He said he feels like the treasurer would be glad to show it to any of the councilman who go by her office. Graves again reiterated that he would like for all of the council to go to the office as a group.
Councilman Joe Johnson said he went at the same time as Harold Moody and Buzzy Finklea, and they were presented areas they were not accustomed to seeing.
Scott said that the number one thing that they needed to realize that is more than three councilmen meet, it is considered a meeting. He said he wants the treasurer to come here He said everyone in Dillon County has the right, including taxpayers, to see the bank statements. He said the council could direct the administrator to get this information for them and to file the necessary documents if he cannot get it.
Scott said he thinks it makes good sense, that it’s good management, and it’s good administration. He said that he thought it was most important that this governing body have this information.
The motion failed on a 4-3 vote. Councilmen Harold Moody, Joe Johnson, Buzzy Finklea and Bobby Moody voted against the motion. Councilmen Archie Scott, Randy Goings, and Andrew Graves voted for the motion.
The payroll check register was then discussed. Scott made a motion that this information supplied by name in accordance with the Freedom of Information Act. This was approved with a 7-0 vote of the council.