New Beaufort County Council chair: ‘We have been intent on righting our ship’ | Opinion

As a member of Beaufort County Council since 2019 — and as chairman for the past three months — I believe the council’s mission is to ensure that Beaufort County government exists to serve the people of Beaufort County in a cost-effective manner so that all residents can enjoy a protected and elevated quality of life and economic well-being.

You elected us to represent your best interests in carrying out this mission.

Without you, there is no us.

And without your trust, our mission is meaningless.

During my time on council, I’ve seen how easy it can be for this mission, and your trust, to become lost in the headlines.

As you may have learned, during council’s May 11 caucus meeting, a Beaufort County staff member discovered an error in how council was being compensated. The error was reported, verified and announced to the public; our paychecks were then adjusted.

An audit of past compensation is being conducted by our finance director. When the audit is complete, the results will be made public.

As council chairman, I want to assure you that we have been intent on righting our ship and we are steering it toward greater transparency and accountability.

Moving forward, we hope that you will find this increasingly apparent.

Over the past year, administration has been focused on establishing and upholding professional and ethical standards, finding cost-savings, making operations more efficient, boosting employee morale, and better positioning the county for increased innovation and prosperity.

This is happening in big and small ways, but always with the goal of protecting public assets.

For instance, the county now has a line-item budget and will publish a budget book this year. These are two very standard practices that were not part of the county’s process in recent years, but needed to be restored.

A line-item budget means every taxpayer dollar in the General Fund is getting scrutinized and accounted for openly. It is now easier to identify inefficiencies.

A budget book tells the story of what this county values. If you were to look at the budget book for the upcoming fiscal year, you would find an emphasis is being placed on quality-of-life services and programs, as well as our EMS Department, because not only do we value public safety, we know that challenges still lie ahead for us as we continue to face this pandemic.

In addition, administration is working on strengthening the county’s financial team, which will lead to increased budget analysis as well as better, more strategic, longer-term planning for capital projects.

Soon the county will embark on a facilities master plan that will result in energy savings and workforce efficiency.

The county has also made two new hires in the transportation engineering department, both of whom are tasked with making progress on the one-cent sales tax projects.

Also worth noting is the incredible work the county’s 1,100 employees have put into keeping the public safe and the county government operational during the state of emergency of these past three months.

In short, your County Council and administration are working diligently to serve you efficiently and effectively. Improvements in financial management are already being realized and an ever-brightening future lies ahead for all of us.

As your representatives on council and your neighbors, we have a responsibility to maintain your trust.

And this is exactly what we intend to keep doing.

Beaufort County Council Chairman Joe Passiment represents District 6, which includes Sun City Hilton Head and parts of Okatie.