You should always watch how governmental entities spend your tax dollars. And one of the largest expenses for any public or private entity is usually labor costs.

As you know, the more employees you have, the more you pay in wages and benefits. There is also the other side of the equation: Certain work has to be accomplished, and you need employees to meet those needs.

During the past several years, County Council and County Staff have worked hard to find that balance. I’m not sure you ever hit the perfect balance. Just when you think you have it figured out, laws change, new requirements cause more work, new citizen needs crop up, the population grows, and then you have to balance the resources.

Given all of that information, I believe your County Government is doing a good job in this balancing act. I especially appreciate the other Elected Officials, Department Heads and employees who work hard to make this balance of resources to needs work. I’ve met with all Elected Officials and Department Heads, and they really do work together. When one area has a “busy season,” other Department employees flow to that area to help.

It’s impressive and ensures you get the most from your tax dollars.

I thought it would be instructive to show you two charts to demonstrate how I believe County Council is holding the line on employment levels.

The first chart shows the number of full-time and part-time County employees since 1990.

In this graph, you should note that in the past three years, the County Council added 4 deputies to the Sheriff’s Department and a state-required, full-time Emergency Management position, which accounts for much of the slight increase.

I also wanted to show you a chart of how these employment levels in 2014 stack up against other S.C. counties our size, provided by the S.C. Association of Counties.

As you can see, Edgefield County is doing quite well compared to the counties our size.

I will hold a Town Hall meeting on Tuesday, August 12, 6-7 p.m., at the Edgefield County Chamber of Commerce Office, 416 Calhoun St., Johnston. I plan to give a brief overview of Edgefield County government work and will answer questions. The public is invited to attend.

Until next time,

Chairman, Edgefield County Council