Legal challenge to the $25M Oconee bond issue

One dozen Oconeeans, along with a public interest foundation, are taking Oconee County to court for an injunction and restraining order – to stop county government’s $25 million bond issue for capital projects, including wastewater improvements.  The plaintiffs are the South Carolina Public Interest Foundation, along with county residents Jim Mann, David Dial, Rachel Moore, Terri Meyerring, Carl Meyerring, Doug Muzik, Bruce Burrell, India Lancaster, John Wagner, Gwen McPhail, Lillian Lusk, and Linda Love.  The plaintiffs are alleging a violation of the state constitution, Article X (10). According to the pleadings:  “Oconee County has implemented two of three phases of sewer projects in the Southern part of the County.  Phases one and two were paid for primarily through state and federal grants and appropriations from general County Funds.  This case addresses wastewater improvements or expansion beyond phase two and the financing for any additional phases through bonds.”  And it cites Article X (10) Section 12 that reads:  “No law shall be enacted permitting the incurring of bonded indebtedness by any county for sewage disposal or treatment, fire protection, street lighting, garbage collection and disposal, water service or any other service or facility benefitting only a particular geographical section of the county unless a special assessment, tax or service charge in an amount designed to provide debt service on bonded indebtedness or revenue bonds incurred for such purposes shall be imposed upon the area or persons receiving the benefit therefrom.”  The legal challenge filed in Oconee Common Pleas Court March 17 for the plaintiffs by the Carpenter Law Firm of Greenville.