South Carolina Statehouse Blog

Columbia, S.C. - May 12, 2009 - During the budget deliberations this week, the Governor’s Office will be releasing a different “Waste of the Day” each day to highlight changes that should be made in the state budget. Today’s Waste is savings that could be achieved with changes related to the state plane, which the Senate budget effectively blocks by moving the state Aeronautics Commission into one of government’s most unaccountable agencies:

In light of the budget cuts, the Department of Commerce proposed downsizing the operations of the state plane and maintenance team to avoid cuts in airport planning or using one-time accounts to pay for ongoing services. The savings proposal would have:

- Reduced the number of pilots from three to two. Two pilots just retired this year and only one has been hired as a replacement. Commerce proposed contracting for a back up pilot rather than hiring a third full time pilot. Savings: $115,905.

- Contracted out the maintenance work. Savings: $133,998.

- Relocated operations from the hangar Aeronautics staff currently occupies. Commerce proposed relocating the flight operations to a rented hangar and the planning department to the Department of Commerce office on Main Street. The hangar and land would be sold and the proceeds would be returned to the Aeronautics Commission. Further, the relocation would add annual savings to the operations of the agency for utility costs. Savings: $113,600.

Total savings: $363,503.