Jun 12 2008
Town Clerk
TERRI CROSBY
Town Clerk and Administrative Assistant to Mayor
Phone: (843) 835-8655
Fax: (843) 835-8531
TOWN CLERK REPORT – July, 2009
I WORKED FOR A CIRCUIT COURT JUDGE WHEN I HEARD THERE WAS A JOB OPENED FOR TOWN CLERK POSITION IN COTTAGEVILLE. I THOUGHT OH BOY! I WOULD LOVE THAT JOB AND BE ABLE TO GET EXPERIENCE AND MOVE UP IN A DIFFERENT AREA. I KNEW I WOULDN’T WHERE I WAS NOW. I REMEMBER SEVERAL PEOPLE ASKING ME, ARE YOU SURE? YOU KNOW HOW COTTAGEVILLE IS, AND THEY ARE KNOWN FOR THERE NAME AS SPEED TRAP. WELL I CAME FOR AN INTERVIEW WITH THE MAYOR PRO-TEM ACOSTA AND SHE HIRED ME. I STARTED WORK ON JANUARY 22, 2004. WHEN I STARTED LOOKING AT THINGS, I THOUGHT, OH NO THIS TOWN IS IN BAD SHAPE. QUICKBOOKS HAD RED NUMBERS, THERE WERE PAST DUE BILLS THAT TOTAL PAGES AND PAGES. I WAS GETTING LATE NOTICES ON BILLS IN THE MAIL ALL THE TIME. SEVERAL BANK STATEMENTS WERE NOT RECONCILED. THEN I WAS GETTING LETTERS FROM THE SC RETIREMENT SYSTEM ON PAYING POLICE RETIREMENT. I THOUGHT OH NO THAT COULD BE A LAW SUIT, IF AN OFFICER RETIRED OR STOPPED WORKING FOR THE TOWN AND THEY WANTED TO DRAW THERE MONEY OUT. I WORKED FOR THE CITY OF WALTERBORO FOR 12 YEARS, I KNOW WHAT LOOKED WRONG AND WHAT LOOKED RIGHT, AND THIS TOWN DIDN’T LOOKED RIGHT. WELL THEN IN MARCH WE HAD A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE MAYOR POSITION, BECAUSE THE EX-MAYOR RESIGNED. AFTER THE MAYOR WAS IN OFFICE, ONE DAY I WENT TO THE POST OFFICE TO GET THE MAIL. WHEN I OPENED THE BOX, IT WAS STUFFED FULL WITH IRS ENVELOPES. I STARTED TO OPEN THEM AND WHEN I DID IT WAS PAYROLL TAXES THAT WASN’T PAID FOR YEARS, YEARS AND YEARS, I WENT CRAZY. I WENT BACK TO TOWN HALL AND CALLED THE MAYOR, I WAS IN TEARS. I TOLD HIM PLEASE COME TO TOWN HALL RIGHT NOW, WE HAVE A PROBLEM. THE MAYOR CAME IN; HE WAS SHOCKED JUST LIKE I WAS. HE JUST CAME INTO OFFICE AND THIS IS WHAT HE GETS TO. WELL I SENT EVERYTHING OVER TO OUR ACCOUNTANT. THEY GOT ON THE PHONE WITH THE IRS. THERE WERE INTEREST; PENELITIES ADDED IN THE BILLS THAT THE TOTAL WAS SKY HIGH. WE ENDED UP SETTLING WITH THEM FOR $30,000. THE MAYOR WENT OUT AND TOOK A LOAN OUT TO PAY FOR THIS, BECAUSE THE IRS WAS GOING TO TAKE FURTHER ACTIONS IT WE DIDN’T SETTLE WITH THEM. THE MAYOR AND I TOOK SEVERAL TRIPS TO COLUMBIA TO MEET WITH THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, BECAUSE WE WANTED TO FIND OTHER MEANS OF REVENUE. WHEN WE WERE MEETING WITH MR. DUVELL HE ASKED US, HOW DID WE DO OUR BUSINESS LICENSES? I TOLD HIM THAT WE COLLECTED $25 FROM EVERY BUSINESS, SOME NOTHING. HE SAID NO, NO, THAT WAS AGAINST THE LAW, AND THAT WE NEEDED TO CHANGE OUR ORDINANCE. I SAID I HAVE NEVER SEEN AN ORDINANCE FOR THE BUSINESS LICENSES, HE SAID WHAT!!! SO THE MAYOR AND MYSELF WORKED ON GATHERING INFORMATION FROM OTHER TOWNS BUSINESS LICENSES AND SENT IT TO OUR ATTORNEY TO DO. I GOT THE ORDINANCE INTO PLACE. THE TOWN DIDN’T EVEN HAVE A CODE OF ORDINANCE BOOK; THERE WERE ORDINANCE IN A FOLDER THAT WASN’T MUCH TO THEM. THE MAYOR STARTING LOOKING INTO THIS AND WE GOT AN APPROVAL FROM COUNCIL TO HIRE SOMEONE THAT WOULD UPDATE THE CODE OF ORDINANCE BOOK. THAT WASN’T ALL THAT WENT ON, BUT I WILL GO ON FOR NOW, TO THE NEW MAYOR.
MAYOR WHITE CAME INTO OFFICE, AFTER I SWORN HIM IN THE NEXT DAY HE MEET WITH ME FOR 3 HOURS WHILE I WAS IN TEARS. I ASKED HIM OR YOU SURE YOU WANT THIS JOB. I SHOWED HIM EVERYTHING WE HAD PENDING FROM LAWSUITS ON VEHICLES THAT WERE PURCHASED FROM CHICAGO, LOAN AT THE BANK FOR PAST PAYROLL THAT WE HADN’T MADE A PAYMENT ON YET AND THE DRUG ACCOUNT. ALSO ABOUT PINE TREE CABLE THAT HASN’T PAID OUR FRANCHISE PAYMENTS AND STILL DON’T PAY TO THIS DAY. WELL MAYOR WHITE CAME IN AND TOOK CARE OF LAWSUIT, WE STARTED MAKING PAYMENTS ON THE PAYROLL TAXES AND HE STARTED FIXING UP THE OLD TOWN HALL WHERE WE WERE PARKING IN THE SAND, AND WHEN IT RAIN IT WAS MUD…….. WE HAD PEOPLE TO COME IN TO PAY TRAFFIC TICKETS AND THEY WOULD MAKE SOME REMARK ABOUT OUR PARKING LOT.
YES, WE DO TRAVEL TOGETHER THEN AND WE STILL DO NOW. WE WENT TO COLUMBIA ON SEVERAL TIMES TO VISITS THE MUNICIPAL ASSOCIATION, AND ATTORNEY OFFICES. THE MAYOR GOES TO CLASS I ATTEND FOR CLERKS TO LEARN BUSINESS LICENSES, FINANCIAL AND OTHER THINGS THAT HE MAY NEED SINCE HE IS THE CHIEF ADMINISTRATOR FOR THE TOWN. BY THE WAY, WE ARE NOT THE ONLY PEOPLE IN THE TOWN THAT TRAVEL TOGETHER, I BELIEVE ME AND DAWN TRAVEL TOGETHER, DAWN AND THE JUDGE TRAVELS TOGETHER AND THE CHIEF AND HIS OFFICERS. MAYOR WHITE GRADUATED FROM THE MUNICIPAL ELECTED OFFICIAL OFFICE, HAS COTTAGEVILLE EVER HAD A MAYOR TO GRADUATE FROM THAT CLASS. THE ANSWER TO THAT IS NO. I HAVE MY CMC (CERTIFIED MUNICIPAL CLERK) HAS A CLERK FOR THE TOWN EVER HAD THAT. THE ANSWER AGAIN NO. WE ATTEND THESE CLASSES TO FIND WAYS TO BETTER THIS TOWN AND LAWS THAT CHANGE AND OTHERE MEANS OF REVENUE. YES, AND YOU DO SEE ME WORKING LONG HOURS WITH THE MAYOR SOMETIME. NEXT TIME YOU SEE THAT WHAY DON’T YOU STOP BY AND SEE WHAT WE ARE DOING, MAYBE YOU CAN HELP US. THE MAYOR DOES HAVE A FULL TIME BUSINESS AND I DO TRY TO WORK AROUND HIS SCHEDULE.
I HAVE BUSTED MY BEHIND IN THIS TOWN FOR 5 YEARS, I DON’T LIVE HERE, BUT I AM CONCERNED FOR THIS TOWN AND I DO ENJOY MY JOB. PEOPLE CAN KEEP TALKING AND TALKING, WHISPERING TO EACH OTHER ABOUT ME, THE MAYOR OR WHOEVER ELSE YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THAT WORKS FOR THE TOWN, BUT ASK YOURSELF THIS QUESTION. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR THIS TOWN????? OH, I KNOW YOU ARE TRYING TO FIRE ME BECAUSE I DO MY JOBBBBB!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I COULD TELL YOU MORE, BUT I THINK I WILL STOP HERE.
THANK YOU.
Terri Crosby
