Florence mayor, councilmen's PDRTA meeting questioned

FLORENCE — The five-hour Florence City Council budget debate Wednesday was interrupted by allegations that Mayor Stephen J. Wukela and two city councilmen were doing business on the city’s behalf behind other council members’ backs.

Councilman Buddy Brand questioned whether Wukela and councilmen Billy D. Williams and Ed Robinson had met with Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority officials about use of the old Bush Recycling site.

Robinson is chairman of PDRTA’s Board of Directors.

Brand wanted to know if a committee had been formed without council’s knowledge.

“My understanding is — and this is from a councilman that is on that committee — that there’s a possibility Congressman Jim Clyburn is going to give approximately $50 million to the city, but we have to match it with $10 million,” Brand said.

“First of all, the city doesn’t have $10 million to match it, but that’s not the point. The point is there has been solicitation of funds which I don’t agree is your authority to do,” he said. “I think you can certainly talk to people, but to request money without the permission of this body leaves a lot to be desired. That certainly is not openness in your government and I have a real problem with that. But if you haven’t formed a committee, we’ll let things go as they seem.”

Wukela said he hadn’t formed any kind of a committee, although he has solicited money from Clyburn and will continue to solicit money from him every chance he gets.

“Are you saying to that there’s not been a committee formed by you, Billy D. and Ed to study something with the PDRTA in reference to the Bush site or anything related to that?” Brand said.

“We haven’t formed any committee, but Billy, Ed and I have met with the PDRTA,” Wukela said. “Every time three council members get together doesn’t make a committee. Council members get together all the time. I’ve talked to PDRTA, (FMU President) Dr. (Fred) Carter, Congressman Clyburn and all kinds of people, and I think that’s part of my obligation.”

“What I’ve been told, and Councilman Robinson told me that,” Councilwoman Octavia Williams-Blake said, “was that there was a committee formed and that there will be about $50 million coming from Congressman Clyburn. He (Robinson) asked my opinion.

“I told him I didn’t know anything about it, that this is the first time I’ve ever heard about $50 million coming to PDRTA and the city having to match it with $10 million. And that was like two days ago,” she said. “I was completely caught off guard and just felt like if that’s something the city is doing, then why don’t we all have a part to say in that because I hate to be called about something going on in the city and I don’t know anything about it. It makes me feel like I’m not doing what I should be doing as a council member.”

“Nobody has made any commitment to anybody,” Wukela said. “These numbers that you’re throwing around — $50 million — nothing has happened.”

“My understanding is the PDRTA was asked for a commitment on the Bush Recycling site so that we could then get the money from Congressman Clyburn,” Williams-Blake said.

“We proposed and sent a proposal that Wilbur Smith did that Dr. Carter split with us to Congressman Clyburn to put a transportation hub on that site,” Wukela said. “PDRTA met with Councilman Robinson, Councilman Williams and myself to talk about that project.

“I think we need to have continued dialogue about it, but Congressman Clyburn hasn’t made any commitment, there hasn’t been anything signed about a grant and PDRTA hasn’t made any commitment,” the mayor said. “What we’re talking about is soliciting the congressman to try to bring some money down here and I’m committed to that.”

“So we’re just going to find out through the news media or something like that about this?” Brand asked. “Seriously, the way to make things go is to include us, that’s all we want. The secrecy, and I know you don’t like this, but the nonpartisan election debate is the same kind of thing.

“When you start doing all that kind of stuff, deception is not what you ran on, and I for one want you to succeed because if you succeed our business community succeeds,” Brand said. “Don’t hide around us. Why do you feel like doing something like this off to the side is good for the rest of us?”

“Let me say publicly that I did not intend to exclude you,” Wukela said. “If you felt excluded, I apologize and I will do everything I can to remedy that.”

“I think you have the potential to be a very good mayor, but we have to learn the ins and outs of each other and start working together,” Councilman Steve Powers said.

“I say again, if any of you feel excluded or offended, I apologize from the bottom of my heart,” Wukela said.

“I think I’ll just save my comments to another day,” Williams said. “I’m not in a position to get into a debate about it.”

Robinson left the meeting for another engagement before the debate erupted.