Local “C” Fund account hits $3 million, welcomes requests

Simply put, the local committee that controls a state allocation for Oconee County road work has accumulated $3 million dollars and is anxious to put that money to work. At a meeting in Walhalla, the Oconee State “C” Fund Committee delivered that message to an audience that included representatives of Oconee County, the cities of Seneca and Walhalla, and the local and area state DOT. “We do want to spend some money,” is how Sam Dickson of Westminster, the “C” Fund chairman, put it. The committee is hopeful it will receive work requests that qualify for approval. Walhalla member Tally Grant, also anxious to start spending the accumulated monies, says he would be willing to hold a special meeting to consider city, county, and state projects. The committee’s next scheduled meeting is November. One project that was previously funded and is in the works is to find a permanent fix to the flood-prone intersection of S. Broad and S. College streets in Walhalla. Joe Sturm, director of the state “C” Fund program and a special visitor to this morning’s meeting, says the Oconee “C” Fund Committee and its counterparts in the 45 other South Carolina counties can look forward to increased allocation made possible by the increasing state gas tax.