County Administrator and Council Chairman Decline to Discuss Paving Cost
The debate over whether Greenville County is paying too much for paving roads erupted again during the May 6 meeting of Greenville County Council.
The discussion had been abruptly delayed late last month when Cort Flynt and Judy Gilstrap said they needed more time to study the data presented by Councilman Willis Meadows, who has spent months gathering data from various sources to help determine if Greenville County is getting the paving value called for in its contract with Ashmore Brothers when compared to other counties and government agencies.
It was understood at the conclusion of the meeting during which Willis Meadows made a lengthy presentation that the discussion would continue at the next meeting of the Committee of the Whole, however, no COW meeting has been scheduled by Chairman Butch Kirven, leading to frustration on the part of Meadows and other Council members.
The COW meeting is normally scheduled just prior to the regular Council meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. Since no committee meeting was scheduled, Councilman Meadows used his turn at the end of the regular Council meeting on May 6 to bring up the subject.
In the meantime, Chairman Kirven had reportedly told a reporter for the daily paper that the data presented by Meadows was “bogus” and misleading. In addition, the county administrator had described the Meadows presentation as comparing apples and oranges.
“The allegation made by Mr. Kirven was meant to distract from the urgency and reality that Greenville County has not wisely spent the taxpayers’ money, and is unwilling to address the problem,” Meadows charged.
Meadows insisted that the allegation does not change the facts. He said the truth is that “it cost Greenville County $115,144 per mile to pave roads in 2006-07, and it cost Spartanburg County $68,935 to pave roads” during the same period. “Nor does the allegation change the fact that the contractor charged Greenville County $47.01 per ton for asphalt and offered the same asphalt to the C-Fund committee for $32.22.” He said the county was overcharged $968,443.
“It is easy to make a charge,” Meadows said, “if you don’t have to present any evidence.”
he two sides seem to be deadlocked at this time with no one willing to compromise. Meadows sticks by his data and the Chairman and Administrator are determined not to compare numbers with the Councilman.
The upcoming primary and General Elections could breach the deadlock should two or more of the incumbent Council members be replaced.
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