Serving Barnwell County and it's neighbors since 1852
Fairfax employees will receive a raise after approval from town council.
At the Town of Fairfax’s December 18 meeting, the council approved bonuses for the town employees and discussed hiring an information technology company to help improve the town’s website.
Employee bonuses
The council voted to approve bonuses for the town’s municipal workers, which the council had been considering since October. Since the town currently does not have a budget and has been pulling funds from one bank account, giving bonuses to town employees divided the council. Although the council voiced unanimous support for bonuses, several council members raised concerns about the town’s ability to pay for them.
However, on December 8, council member Phyllis Smart confirmed to The People-Sentinel that the council members had decided to go forward with giving bonuses. Smart said the council decided to give the bonuses to show appreciation to the town’s municipal workers, who face shortages in equipment and are understaffed, particularly in the water department. At the December 18 meeting, the bonuses were approved.
Website improvements
The town council has pushed to improve its digital presence after the town’s website crashed, as discussed at a previous council meeting. Mayor Butch Sauls said most of the town’s residents pay their utility bills in person, however, upgrading the town’s website will allow for a digital payment option.
“One of the things I’ve been hoping to do is to have a functional website where people can see things about the Town of Fairfax,” Sauls said. The website update could also include paying taxes digitally.
Sauls said the town is considering hiring QS/1, a South Carolina-based software company to make the update and include software in utility work.
Town hall roof
A persistent issue for the town’s municipal workers has been the state of the town hall’s roof, which according to Sauls, was constructed improperly. As a result, leaks and damage have been frequent.
At the December 18 meeting, the town received bids from contractors for repairing the roof.
“We’ve got a problem right now. This roof is horrible,” Sauls said. “The construction is horrible and it’s just unreal how it was done. Those are the kind of issues I’ve been fighting.”
Additionally, since the town hall was built in 1940, the age of the building is also of concern. Sauls said he is currently pushing for the town hall to be designated as a historical building; however, the reconstruction of the roof means that it does not match the exact definition of a historical building.
“I’ve talked with the historical people in Columbia,” Sauls said. “They are aware of the age and it can be put on the historical register. But they changed the integrity of the building by putting that roof on it.”
