BENNETTSVILLE—Meeting for a two-part double hitter last week, the Bennettsville City Council delved into lengthy discussions surrounding floodplain eligibility, critical home repair, and touched on already applied for upcoming grant opportunities, street name changes, and also engaged in intense dialogue centered around the city’s Finance Committee and public safety concerns.
A recent change in the South Carolina Housing policy has made several Bennettsville residents now ineligible for seeking assistance through the Disaster Assistance Program. The change designates homes classified as being located inside a floodplain no longer eligible. According to City Administrator William Simon, Jr., Bennettsville was previously awarded $1.7 million through the Disaster Assistance Program, and the change will now impact many the city had hoped to assist with the funds.
To potentially counteract this new stipulation, Administrator Simon suggested the city may still be able to help some affected residents by moving them into the Critical Home Repair program. Although, he noted that process will require additional documentation and staff time.
Simon explained, “We are not going to be able to spend all that money because those applicants are ineligible.” He added, “It doesn’t mean that we won’t still be able to help people. It means that we will have to transition those homes into the new program.”
Councilman Gregory Scott Sr. voiced concern for residents who already completed paperwork under the program’s original stipulations and met its stated requirements at the time they applied for assistance.
He said, “You give the people in those areas something, then you come and take it back from them, then you offer them something else, but then you make it harder.”
Responding, Simon answered that South Carolina Housing remains a partner, saying, “The opportunity is still there for homes to be repaired.”
Pressing for a clear path forward, Councilman Davis requested Simon, “Tell us what you need from the council to make this work.”
Citing temporary housing support as the city’s most immediate need, Simon said, “If you really want to help, allow the administrator to hire somebody part-time and temporary like we talked about before.” He added that the benefit of the Critical Home Repair funds is that “there is no deadline” and that “money will be there as long as the department is funded.”
Simon went on to say he would like to see administration hire another part-time position. He said, “We would like to move forward with getting a part-time position in called the housing coordinator that can help us transition or continue with the pending homes and make sure we get our reimbursement and then start working with everyone who [are still] eligible for the critical home repair.”
Following discussion, council approved a motion put forth by Mayor Abraham authorizing Simon to reduce acceptance of the award by $900,000 because of the restrictions now placed on the program. Councilmen Cy’Heim McRae and Tyrone Davis put forth the only dissenting votes.
Additional specific concerns raised by council during the meeting included timing, reimbursement status, rental-property eligibility and whether the city could recover funds already paid to contractors.
Simon suggested some of these concerns could be addressed by administration hiring another part-time position. He said, “We would like to move forward with getting a part-time position in called the housing coordinator that can help us transition or continue with the pending homes and make sure we get our reimbursement and then start working with everyone who [is still] eligible for the critical home repair.”
Planning Commission and Lawson Street name change discussions
The Planning Commission recommends renaming Lawson Street to Mary Best Lane. Discussions surrounding the change prompted questions from council members centered around public notice procedure and resident involvement. Several council members wanted to know whether the residents most affected by the change had been contacted or whether a petition should first happen.
Bennettsville city Planning and Zoning Manager Denise Miller spoke before council, reporting the Planning Commission “unanimously voted in favor to recommend approving the street name change back to the city council.”
Councilman McCrae urged more resident involvement, saying, “I still think…we need to kind of include the residents.”
Agreeing that more of an effort needs to be made by the Planning Commission to seek feedback from residents living on Lawson Street, Councilwoman Caraline Harpe said, “ I don’t think, you know, to just assume that everybody on the street is going to be okay with all the hoops that they would have to jump through to change their address. If they’re fine with it, that’s great. But I don’t think it’s fair to just assume that they’re going to be okay with it and not make more of an effort to get their input on this.”
However, Administrator Simon defended the process, saying, “All we are doing is following our laws,” while he also acknowledged that older ordinances may need clearer notice procedures. Ultimately, council decided to return the issue to the Planning Commission.
Finance Committee and Public Safety Pay
Employees pay dominated Finance Committee and Public Safety discussions, with council focusing particularly on the salaries of the city’s police and fire departments.
Councilman McCrae said, “We have got to make some changes going into the next fiscal year like ASAP.” He added, “Our public service people don’t have anything to look forward to other than risking their life and just getting crumbs.”
One major change McRae expressed a desire to see is the city moving to 24-hour pay for its firemen.
He said, “They work a 24-hour shift, right? But they don’t get paid for the whole 24 hours and that whole time they have to stay there in the middle of the night. They can’t just go home, right? We want them on shift. So, if we do that, then why don’t we pay them for that? So, I think going into next year, the number one thing we need to do is take up 24-hour pay.”
McRae went on to describe a department head tour he; Councilman Davis, Mayor Tyron Abraham, and Administrator Simon went on the day prior, detailing their visit with both Bennettsville Police Chief Sammy Crosland and Bennettsville’s Fire Chief.
“We went over to each department. We started here [BPD] and then we ended [up] at the fire department to go over their plans, and they presented us with a new plan. and I think theirs totaled over $100,000,” said McRae, adding he felt conflicted between ensuring departments get what they need to keep residents safe and the reality of being in the middle of planning a fiscally responsible budget for the city.
When Councilwoman Caraline Harpe asked, “Are we ready to vote on a proposal to increase salaries for police and fire next month,” Councilman William Jennings Jr., cautioned against the council moving too quickly, saying, “It’s not something we’re going to do in a motion and pass on one go. We need to study it.”
Mayor Abraham suggested considering a freeze on two vacant police positions to help fund increases and said, “I’m for a cost of living for all employees.”
Finance, Grants, Administration, and Parks and Recreation— Oh my!
Council also heard from Chief Finance Officer Mr. Sam Sparkman who provided an update on the city’s finances.
He announced the city is “on budget projections for this year” and added that the first two months are nearly 3% above projections. Sparkman added that Bennettsville is generally tracking with budget projections, while Bennettsville’s Business and Community Director, Ms. Brittany Jones, reported on a large volume of active and pending funding work she and her staff are undertaking.
She said, “We are administering approximately 20 grants,” adding that she has applied for “slightly over $28 million worth of grant funds” during calendar year 2026.
Parks and Recreation Director Ms. Jaharra Graves highlighted an upcoming community events supported by a USDA mini grant recently awarded to the city.
She said, “The USDA approved four mini grants in July for the TPR [Tourism, Parks, and Recreation] department to celebrate Parks and Rec month.” She continued, “We will reschedule our Hoop Fest for a date in August as the event was cancelled due to extreme outdoor temperatures. Don’t forget, National Night Out on Tuesday, August 4th at NETC from 5:00 p.m. to 700 p.m. Graves suggested anyone interested in participating or making a donation, call the Bennettsville Police Department.
Closing out the meeting, Administrator Simon said, “Leadership is about serving everyone, not just the loudest and the most rude voices,” adding, “Leadership is not about pleasing everyone. It’s about making principled decisions that serve the greater good.”
Council members also revisited a proposal from a water-quality group that previously made a presentation to the city. Simon said the group is requesting follow-up from the council whom, Simon said, now needs to decide whether there is interest in moving forward.
Councilman McCrae answered that the presentation felt rushed to him and questioned whether the city was ready to fund the equipment needed to complete the objectives of the proposal.
The council then moved into executive session for personnel matters. Upon returning, council again opened regular session, with members stating that no votes or actions were taken during their executive session.