Citizens 'Frustrated' with Government, Taxes Move Forward with Birch County Plan

About 45 people frustrated with their local county governments gathered in The Cotton House in Irmo Tuesday night to determine the groups' next steps in the push to form a new county in the Midlands. 

"I’m excited about putting something together," said Ballentine resident Keith Solomon. "I feel so distant from Richland County especially with what happened with the last election with the penny tax."

"I feel we were totally ripped off."

The first Citizens for Birch County meeting was held to gauge residents' interest in the creation of the new county, which would include parts of Ballentine, Irmo and Chapin.

"This is not a political organization," said Scott Malyerck, one of the group's organizers and former executive director of the SC Republican Party. "This is a group of folks that are concerned about the future of their communities."

After the transportation penny in Richland County was passed in November, some residents thought it was time to revisit the idea that was discussed years ago.

Bill Able, a former attorney for Richland County, said he first thought of the idea to form Birch County and that now was the right time to "bring government back to the people."

"It has grown too big," Able said of the government. "It has distance itself from the people."

Able said politicians forget about the people, especially those in the rural areas of the county, after being elected to service their office. 

Several people attending the meeting agreed that the government needed to be more responsive and accessible. There's also the desire for less taxes.

The new county will aim to do just that — be closer to the communities the government serves and lesson the tax burden on families.  

The proposed new county in the Lake Murray area is named after those communities that would make up the area. The proposed county would consist of the northwestern part of Richland County and the northeastern part of Lexington County although boundary lines have not been drawn.

A couple of residents suggested the county include all of Lexington-Richland School District 5 to help eliminate any confusion on which county the schools were part of. 

The meeting was attended by several Irmo town officials including councilwoman Kathy Condom and ousted District 5 board member Kim Murphy.

Condom said she thought the idea was good but wanted to know how workable it was to form the county.

Murphy said she supported the group's efforts, and that the new county could lead to a more collaborative effort and better communication between the government and residents.

To form Birch County, it would take one-third of the registered voters in the new county to sign a petition, the governor would have to call a special election and two-thirds of the voters must vote yes. The plan would then have to be approved by the Department of Justice.

"It’s not an easy idea, to start a new county," Malyerck said. "There are worlds of hurdles to overcome."

Malyerck said the group will have to address several questions concerning services that are to be provided such as a police force and fire department as well as the cost of their efforts. 

He also mentioned a limit on the number of counties in the state and possibly having to do a constitutional amendment to increase the county count past 46.

The group could also look into annexing into Lexington County. 

The next steps will be to form committees and determine exactly where the boundaries will be, Malyerck said. 

“That’s when it starts to be real."

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