COLUMBIA, S.C. — Months of discussion over the allocation of the Savannah River Site Settlement funds ended on Tuesday when the Senate Finance committee approved their recommendations of where the money should go.
The majority of the $525 million will go to the counties "most impacted."
Aiken, Allendale, Barnwell Counties would receive $341 million. Seven surrounding counties such as Orangeburg, Lexington, and Saluda will split $52 million, while the rest of the state will get $131 million.
The committee unanimously came to this decision.
“What we want to be sure of is that this money is used properly for the public good,” said Senator Nikki Setzler of Lexington County
Setzler said the money would bring "transformational change" to his county.
“In our county for example, we’d like to see the money spent in our industrial parks. To expand our industrial parks to get tracks of land ready, even maybe some spec buildings built."
He said Aiken has plans to develop their downtown area, while Barnwell county wants to use the money to build an entirely new high school.
The committee's decision on Tuesday went against Governor Henry McMaster's recommendation of the funds.
In December, the Governor said he wants the counties most impacted to be the only recipients of the money.
"It’s clean, it's easy to understand. We have a lot of other money coming in,” said Gov. McMaster on Tuesday. He referenced South Carolina's $3 billion budget surplus.
“To counter the costs of rising inflation, Governor McMaster calls upon the General Assembly to pass the settlement funds in a stand-alone bill to allow for the funds to be appropriated immediately upon his approval,” his office said in December. “If the General Assembly adds the settlement funds to the FY 2022/23 General Appropriations Act the money will not be available until July 1, 2022.”
However, lawmakers said the impact of the Savannah River Site reached beyond those three counties.
“The surrounding seven counties had employees and have employees who work at Savannah river," said Setzler.
The committee also approved an amendment that would require counties to request the funds from the Executive Budget Office before carrying out projects.
The bill will now move to the Senate floor for a full vote. After the Senate it will move to the House and then Gov. McMaster's desk.