County administrator outlines budget, wage study, software rollout and denies campus sales rumor

County Administrator Candace told the Richland County Board on Aug. 13 that preliminary budget documents and a slide presentation will be ready for the finance and personnel committees and the full board next month as the 2025 budget process continues.

Candace said she and staff have met with departments and are conducting deeper reviews of revenues and expenditures. She reported initial wage-study data from consultant Tessa Melvin showed the prior 5% wage increase improved the county's market position, but noted 90 county jobs remain under $20 per hour and there is pay compression between supervisors and subordinates that needs addressing as the county builds a new pay scale.

On technology, Candace said the countywide implementation of Tyler software is in full swing, with training and data collection ongoing and many staff participating in webinars and kickoff meetings. She thanked staff for their efforts on the large project.

Candace also previewed the county fair and announced a joint County Board/Venture Architects information session set for Sept. 4 at 6 p.m. at the White House Hotel to present a feasibility study on campus and county buildings.

Responding to persistent public questions, Candace directly addressed rumors about campus property, saying on the record: "nothing has been sold out of the campus." She explained that some entities (the foundation, alumni association, a theater group) were allowed to remove belongings with permission and that county departments have taken some items (tables, desks) where needed for county operations. She said individual arrangements were being made for groups to retrieve property and emphasized that the board had not approved any sales of campus property.

The administration will provide the board with the preliminary budget and further wage-study results at upcoming committee meetings.