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Sumter County Council declines first reading of ordinance to allow limited maintenance of private dirt roads after divided vote
Summary
Councilman Carlton B. Washington proposed Ordinance 24-1001 to let Sumter County perform minimum maintenance on private dirt roads deemed a public-safety threat if owners deed the road to the county; the measure failed first reading after a 4–3 split and residents delivered extended public testimony about delayed emergency access.
Councilman Carlton B. Washington proposed a policy change and ordinance intended to let Sumter County provide minimum maintenance on privately owned dirt roads when those roads are the sole means of access to occupied residences and are impassable to emergency vehicles. Washington said the change would require property owners to execute an irrevocable deed conveying the road to the county before maintenance begins and asked the county administrator for a plan and cost analysis.
"I believe there is a pathway for us to help our citizens," Councilman Carlton B. Washington said, citing several Attorney General opinions he provided to the council. He read legal excerpts that, he said, supported using public funds when the legislature (or county council) determines a public purpose of health and safety is met.
The ordinance text labeled 24-1001 described triggers for activation that include roads that are the sole means of access to one or…
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