Letter to the Editor: "Thank You," School Board

I recently read the story entitled, No tax hike planned for Pickens schools and the district Superintendent said, “We’re pretty well balanced right now.”

Imagine that, isn’t it great? When can you ever recall hearing that from a Superintendent? No tax hike, again, and the district will still be able to cover the
2% pay increase, increased insurance and retirement costs, additional s taffing for the new schools, and even purchase 2 new activity buses.

For so many years past administrations and school boards kept increasing
property taxes, year after year — the same thing. Give us more money, it’s for the children. Laying-off teachers was the favored ploy for pushing citizens into
accepting more taxes.

The yearly tax increases finally pushed the taxpayers too far and they pressured
their legislators for relief, resulting in Act 388. Far from perfect, it was the direct
result of continually increasing taxes pushed by past administrations and rubber
stamping school boards. Finally, we can say “We’re pretty well balanced now."

This didn’t come about by accident; it came about because the new school board understands conservative financial responsibility. This came about because of a school board that contains some members who are not part of the academia elite, but members who are part of and understand what life as an average private sector Pickens taxpayer is like.

Amongst much screaming, name calling, insults and political showboating this
board was still able to save and then add teaching positions, get runaway building costs under control, avoid borrowing money, and reach a “well balanced” financial situation, without increasing the burden on the taxpayers. This should be good news to all Pickens County taxpayers. I know it is to me.

I wish to thank this board and current administration for a job well done. Those
of us who observed the journey to “well balanced” over the past five years know
it was a hard, nasty trip. May we never return to those irresponsible tax and
spend days, of school boards afraid to say “No”, of school boards who fail to
represent and deliberately circumvent the wishes of their constituents, actions
which led us to Act 388.

Dennis G. Reinert of Easley
President, Pickens County Taxpayers Association