The Greenwood County Commission addressed budget planning, employee compensation, road projects, heard from Farm Bureau representatives and began budget proposals during its June 8 weekly meeting.
Representatives Abbey Wiggins and Sam Davis of Greenwood County Farm Bureau spoke with commissioners about energy development issues affecting rural landowners. They discussed available resources for property owners approached by energy developers and emphasized the importance of protecting private property rights. The pair offered educational materials, fact sheets and connections to residents and officials in neighboring counties facing similar issues. They also noted they would be willing to offer assistance for residents being approached by major companies looking to purchase land from local farmers/ ranchers.
A significant budget discussion centered on health insurance costs. County Clerk Deann McCaffree proposed moving employee health and dental insurance expenses from individual department budgets into the county’s general fund. Department heads and commissioners said the change would simplify budgeting and reduce large year-end carryovers caused by budgeting for family coverage when employees ultimately selected less expensive plans. The commission approved the request, 3-1, with Commissioner Mac Obourn voting against the change. The change applies only to health and dental insurance and not other employee benefits.
As part of the county’s 2027 budget process, several organizations presented funding requests.
Representatives from CrossWinds Counseling and Wellness reported continued growth in services across Greenwood County. The community mental health center served 376 individuals during 2025 and experienced increases in both clients served and total services provided. CrossWinds representatives again asked for $50,500, as in past years for the 2027 budget.
Empower House Ministries Executive Director Melissa Landis requested $3,500 from the county’s Special Alcohol Fund for 2027. Commissioners took the request under advisement and indicated they would review funding options before making a decision. Currently, funds from the Special Alcohol fund have been distributed to CrossWinds Counseling and Wellness.
Emergency Management Director Levi Vinson presented a proposed 2027 budget of $123,185.06. The proposal reflects a reduction in capital outlay and commodity expenses while accounting for anticipated wage adjustments under the proposed county pay scale. The proposed budget reflects an actual decrease of just over $2,000.
Commissioners discussed the county’s proposed pay scale and ongoing efforts to update job descriptions. Vinson said department heads have expressed concerns about preparing budgets without knowing whether the pay scale will ultimately be implemented. Commissioners discussed holding a work session to review and standardize job descriptions. The commission department heads were given an extension to submit completed job descriptions by June 22, with a work session to follow. Vinson recommended against including a cost-ofliving adjustment in departmental budgets if the county adopts the pay scale, arguing that combining both could place county wages above market rates. The commission ultimately approved the pay scale framework. Additional details will be included in next week’s edition.
During the Road and Bridge report, commissioners reviewed the weekly report and discussed ongoing bridge projects. Road and Bridge Administrative Assistant Kassie Lazar reported that grant applications submitted for 2027 and 2028 projects were not accepted, unfortunately. However, the bridge at 250th and H Road will be let out for bids on July 1 with an early construction date of November 2026 and a latest start date of March 2027. Commissioners also discussed the county’s annual road maintenance program, including whether asphalt may provide a better long-term investment than chip seal treatments. Additional evaluation of recent projects will be completed before committing funds to future road surfacing work.
Commissioners expressed interest in inviting representatives from the Greenwood County Hospital Board to attend a future meeting to discuss financials. The commission was hopeful that all five trustees could attend next week’s meeting. Clerk Deann McCaffree planned to send a request.
Sheriff Heath Samuels also discussed a countywide budgeting workshop scheduled for June 25. The day-long training session will be mandatory for all department heads. Due to various scheduling reasons, the commission approved to move the budgeting workshop to Monday, June 29, following the county commission meeting.
The commission held two executive sessions. One involved personnel evaluations with County Counselor Paul Dean and Vinson, while the second concerned a legal matter involving a county road. No action was taken following either executive session.
The commission also approved the June 1 meeting minutes, special payables totaling $18,412.22, regular payables totaling $256,472.67 and payroll totaling $162,135.74.
The next Greenwood County Commission meeting is scheduled for June 15 at 9 a.m.
