Blackville Town Council voted June 15 at the regular town council meeting to approve a budget for the upcoming year without a line item for a new town administrator.

Councilman Rubert Reed asked Mayor Jackie Holman about the omission.

Former councilman Dan Ligon and current councilmen Reed and Harry Felder agreed during the May 18 regular council meeting that hiring a town administrator would be beneficial for the town.

Felder said it would be "the best money ever spent."

Holman currently serves as the town administrator as well as the mayor. His contract expires in June and council voted not to renew this contract several months ago.

Holman told Reed that if the town could hire someone on a part-time basis for the salary they had previously discussed, the town would find the money for the position.

Holman went on to say the administrative salary line item in the proposed budget was for employees who were already working for the town. Not any new hires, he said.

Council also heard updates from the new fire chief, Hariel Corley and the police chief John Holston.

Corley told council the fire department volunteers had been busy in the last month with training and restructuring, but he has been please with the cooperation of the members, he said.

Holman clarified the position of the fire chief is an appointment not a paid position. A stipend is paid to the chief, not a salary. This arrangement was made in a previous administration, he said.

Chief Holston said his department is at full staff with one officer starting the S.C. Criminal Justice Academy soon.

Councilwoman Patricia Brown asked if there had been a decrease in break-ins in the town recently.

Holston said with the data about to be released in the department's six month figures, he believes the figures will show a "reduction across the board."

He also said his department has a 73 to 75 percent solve rate for crimes committed. Currently the department has approximately 16 open cases out of 746 reported incidents in 2009, he said.

Council also approved a resolution to hire an audit firm for the town's annual audit.

Holman updated council on the progress of upgrades to the town's pumps and lift stations.