In their first order of business for the New Year 2010, Bamberg County Council members approved a resolution to elect a Chair and Vice-Chair of the Bamberg County Council for the year beginning January 4, 2010 and ending December 31, 2010. Council members voted unanimously to elect District Two Council member Alzena Robinson Chair of Bamberg County Council and District Seven Council member Clint Carter Vice-Chair.

Upon receiving the gavel of office Council Chairwoman Robinson commended outgoing Chairman Clair P. Guess III on the outstanding job he did over his tenure as chairman. Former Council Chairman Guess noted some of the achievements during his term as chairman.

Guess noted that while the state tax burden increased because of assessment, Bamberg County Council actually lowered the rate that people are charged taxes.

“I thought that was very bold when you consider out of the 46 counties in the state, we were probably the only one that did that,” Guess said. Adding, “Ms. Robinson has pledged to me that she is going to lower taxes even more some way or another.” Guess stated that Bamberg County government is a “particularly responsible government to county tax payers.”

“By comparison, we are viewed in the state as being one of the more efficient operations of any kind with very little or no waste. And he stated that he was “grateful to the county’s employees and was grateful for the opportunity to serve.”

Also during the meeting:

•Bamberg County Hospital CEO Roy Vinson reported that hospital volume was down in November. Patient days for November were down 32.6 percent from 457 days in October to 308 in November for an average daily census of 10.2 compared to 14.7 in October. Net hospital revenue was $1,460,000 for the month of November. This was $28,000 down from the budget and $308,000 less than October net revenue. Total hospital expenses of $1,602,000 were $ 6,000 less than budget for the month and $146,000 less than October. Net Income: In November, the budget projected a profit of $129,000. The hospital yielded an overall profit of $83,000 for the month of November an increase from the October profit of $20,067. It was noted that this profit was $38,000 more than November, 2008.

•County Finance Director Thomas Thomas reported that the county had collected $2.8 million in revenue up to November and was at 47 percent of the budget for the fiscal year.

•Council members approved a three year lease purchase agreement for a new car for the Bamberg County Sheriff’s Department and requested an inventory of all county vehicles.

•Bamberg County Administrator Rose Dobson- Elliott reported that the County Emergency Preparedness Department had received a grant for a new vehicle for locating addresses. She noted that the Sheriff’s Department had received a grant earlier for a new vehicle and both grants were at no cost to the tax payers of the county. The County Administrator announced that the county had received a $4,375 refund from workman compensation over the last period. She thanked Ruthie Brown, County Personnel Director, Doretta Elliott, County Assessor and all the staff for their hard work.

•Council members heard a report from Cindy Hurst on an update of the United States Census 2010 for Bamberg County. Hurst expressed the need to have information about the census put on the radio and newspapers and the importance of accuracy in counting multifamily dwellings.