GEORGETOWN, S.C. —  The latest audit of the City of Georgetown’s finances will be released to the public Feb. 18 and by then city officials might have it pretty well memorized.

That’s because City Administrator Chris Eldridge, Finance Director Jessica Miller and her assistant, Walt Ackerman, have met with Mayor Jack Scoville and the six city council members one-at-a-time to go over the document.

Eldridge said the separate meetings were held to give council members an opportunity to ask questions about the audit because, at the meeting Feb. 18, the auditor will present only a summary rather than going through the entire 130-page document.

“I thought it might help to sit down with them beforehand so they’d have a better idea of the questions they’d like to ask the auditor at the February 18th meeting,” he said.

Meetings were not advertised

USC law professor Jay Bender, who specializes in Freedom of Speech issues, said even though there was never a council quorum, the meetings should have been advertised.

Bender said it is his opinion “each meeting was a committee meeting, and that the committee was made up of the administrator, finance director and the council member meeting at any given time.”

Committee meetings, just like council meetings, have to be announced publicly, according to the Freedom of Information laws.

Mayor Scoville, also an attorney, disagrees with Bender’s opinion.

He said they were not committee meetings because “no recommendations or anything else” will be made as a result of the sessions.  

 ‘Doing their homework’

“It is no different than if a council member called (city hall) with a question,” Scoville said. “I can't believe anyone would have a problem with council members doing their homework.”

Late Wednesday, Eldridge said reporters could sit in on Thursday’s sessions but that was not within the 24-hour notice period specified by law.

The Times attended the meetings with three of the council members and will report on that in Monday’s newspaper.

By Scott Harper

sharper@gtowntimes.com