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Edward Paxton urged Green-ville County Council to take on the management of the Greenville Water System when he addressed Council during their June 5th meeting.
Paxton, a persistent critic of the water system controlled by the city of Greenville, said previous councils have refused to take on the power structure of the water system, but: “You people are much more level-headed and capable of taking on this issue, and I urge you to make it your number one project in the upcoming fiscal year agenda.”
Paxton and others have urged the Greenville County Council to insist that the board of commissioners for the water system agree to a more equitable system for Greenville County residents.
County residents make up more than 80 percent of the customers of the water system, and are charged 1.7 times the rate charged city customers, Paxton said. This is primarily the result of Greenville County having no representation on the water commission. All of the commissioners are residents of the city and include the mayor and a member of City Council.
In the past, the water system has had powerful friends in the South Carolina Legislature that have helped to preserve the status quo.
Paxton began his remarks by stating: “I’ve been letting these birds rest for a while,” but he added it was time to take another look at how they operate.
“I think we all know and recognize (the Greenville Water System) as a beast that is out of control and an enemy of most all citizens of Greenville County, courtesy of the South Carolina Legislature, that is gobbling up the county tax base at an alarming rate,” Paxton said.
“I would like to make you aware of what is going on down at that water system even as we speak,” he added.
“First of all, they have a general manager down there that spends maybe 30 percent of his time in the office.” He said that while the Council was looking at the trip to Ireland, they might “want to check up on where this guy has been in the last year or two. He is constantly on speaking engagements around the country, including doing such things as events of the American Water Works Association.”
Paxton said the general manager spent a year and a half or so as president of the American Water Works Association, which he described as a “dog and pony show.”
“He hobnobs in Washington frequently. I’m not sure I know why, and I guess I don’t know what else. But it is all sanctioned by the Board of Commissioners and I say his activities are not in the best interest of the people of Greenville County or for that matter, the city of Greenville,” he said.
Councilman Cort Flynt was talking to another member of Council when Paxton paused in mid sentence: “Mr. Chairman, could you call the group to order!”
Chairman Butch Kirven responded: “He is not disturbing anyone, Mr. Paxton.”
Firing back, Paxton said: “He is disturbing me by not paying attention.”
“I’m sorry. Proceed,” Kirven responded.
Paxton offered the opinion that the general manager of the water system should be doing the job he is being paid to do rather than traveling around the country and the world. “In the 9:11 scenario, he was in Mexico City,” he said.
“Quite often down there at that place, it becomes a question of who is running the show,” he added.
Alluding to the disparity shown between customers in the city and in the county, Paxton observed: “The people paying most of the money to keep that place going down there are in no way having a hand in the way it is run. We are the people paying that 1.7 times rate of what is being paid by the people of Greenville. The general manager seems to have the ability to tell commissioners what to do.”
Edward Paxton took his seat and the Council Chairman proceeded with the meeting.
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