Swansea’s town officials are in a mess, to put it generously. A few of them don’t plan to do anything about it.

The Town Council inherited the mess from Mayor Jerald Sanders. The mayor has been suspended from office and faces up to 5 years in prison for stealing town tax money.

The mayor pro tem Woodrow Davis and council member Linda Butler cancelled this week’s council meeting.

Council members Doris Simmons and Mike Luongo say the town needs a spending plan for the fiscal year 2021-22, which began this month and to fix a reported $75,000 in deficit spending above the taxes and fees the town collects.

Mayor Sanders had Davis’s and Butler’s votes to enact a new 2% hospitality tax and raise local property taxes. But since Sanders has been suspended from office, the tax increases lack a majority vote.

This is undoubtedly good news for taxpayers. The remaining council members in the southern Lexington County town of 900 residents are split 2-2 on the tax proposals.

Davis and Butler reportedly favor both tax proposals.

Council members Simmons and Luongo voted against the proposals at an initial vote.

Town residents including County Council man Scott Whetstone told the mayor and council that this was not the time for more taxes.

They said people were still struggling in the covid-19 pandemic, Simmons said.

Since last Monday’s council meeting was cancelled, 2 members now refuse to do anything.

Luongo said Butler told him they didn’t need to do anything.

Simmons, who is white, said she was hurt by racist charges against her and Luongo by Butler, who is black.

Only Sanders and Davis are authorized to sign payroll checks for town employees, Town Hall is locked up and the town clerk is on vacation.

This would be almost comic farce if it wasn’t also tragic.

We welcome your comments.

Please email them to JerryBellune@yahoo.com

Swansea’s financial mess would be comic farce if it wasn’t also a tragedy.