ORANGEBURG COUNTY, S.C. — Orangeburg County is feeling the economic impact of rising fuel prices.
County administrator Harold Young says services affected most include Emergency Medical Services, public transit, public works, and building inspection. These are all services that utilize county vehicles.
Now, the county says it is reassessing how to adjust its budget. “We had to take into account what we budgeted," Young said.
Prior to the surge in gas prices, the county planned on extending bus routes, according to Young.
"It did affect public transit because we were right at the point, we were about to try different upgrades to the route, but because of the gas prices and fuel prices, we put that on hold."
The county says fuel prices have not caused any major disruptions in its services. However, he says council is well prepared.
“Thank goodness we didn’t cut much from the fuel line items in anticipation of fuel prices going back up," Young said.
Council meets again in April to discuss the remainder of the 2021-2022 fiscal budget year, ending in July.