Published: Sunday, Nov. 15, 2009 / Updated: Friday, Nov. 13, 2009 06:24 PM
Mayor-elect to foot special election bill
TEGA CAY --
Newly elected mayor-elect George Sheppard has a plan to finance the city's upcoming special election without tapping into a lean contingency fund – he's going to pay for it himself, he said.
“I will donate my stipend from the city back to the city,” Sheppard said. “Whatever the city manager decides to do with it is his discretion.”
However, Sheppard said he wants the money to cover expenses related to the city's future special election.
“Is that what I want it used for?” Sheppard asked about funding the special election. “Yes.”
The special election could cost the city approximately $4,000, according to Wanda Hemphill of the York County Registration and Elections Office.
As mayor, Sheppard will earn about $6,000 annually. Instead, that money will be earmarked for the special election, City Manager Grant Duffield said.
Duffield has reservations about Sheppard shouldering expenses for the special election.
“I'm not certain that it's appropriate for Mr. Sheppard to pay for the election,” Duffield said. “It's not right for an individual to pay for a public election.”
He's not the only one who feels that way.
“It's a conflict of interest,” Bartkin said.
However, Duffield also said, “The question has been posed to the ethics commission. They've not raised an issue.”
To date, Councilman John Dervay, who narrowly lost his seat to former council member Stephen Perkins, is the only person to publicly bid for Sheppard's seat.
Sheppard is set to resign his council seat on Nov. 16. That resignation, effective midnight Jan. 17, 2010, paves the way for the special election.
Meanwhile, the alternative election funding leaves Duffield concerned.
“If nothing else, from a perception standpoint,” he said. “I'm not sure it's sound practice. I'll encourage him to revisit this offer to pay out of concern for the public process.”
For more, see the Nov. 18 edition of the Fort Mill Times.
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