by Vicki Simons
June 1, 2026
Do you ever wish that you knew what was going on at Aiken County Government meetings, but you:
- can’t attend the meetings in person;
- feel that it’s a hassle — yea, even an obstruction to open and transparent government — to have to request under FOIA an audio of each meeting individually; and
- wonder why in the world Aiken County Government isn’t already providing livestreaming, recording, and archiving videos of all public meetings when so many other government entities are already providing this service?
What follows includes: - aspects concerning this topic,
- what I consider to be the need for this service,
- parts of my speeches before Aiken County Council; and
- an urgent call to action for readers to contact their Council members and the Council Chairman, requesting that money be put in the FY 2026-2027 budget, in order to make this service a reality this calendar year.
The Need
Aiken County, South Carolina, (A) is larger than the State of Rhode Island (B) and it takes considerable effort for Aiken County residents from outlying areas to attend meetings in person.
Earlier this year, one speaker commented during the “Informal Meeting of the Whole” (public input period of Aiken County Council meetings) that for every speaker who spoke that night, there were 20 other people who wanted to be there to speak.
In my opinion, livestreaming, recording, and archiving videos of Aiken County’s public meetings will:
1. Enhance government transparency and accountability;
2. Increase public trust in elected officials, county employees, and appointees;
3. Ensure equal access to government proceedings for all citizens, including:
a. those who cannot attend meetings in person,
b. shift workers,
c. parents with school-age children,
d. the elderly,
e. those with disabilities,
f. those who cannot drive at night, and
g. those who live a distance from Aiken;
4. Increase civic engagement and voter awareness;
5. Create a permanent record of government decisions;
6. Prove that county government has nothing to hide;
7. Attract businesses and investors by showcasing government transparency;
8. Demonstrate a commitment to innovation and technological advancement;
9. Reduce the need for personnel to fulfill individual FOIA requests for meeting audios;
10. Allow viewers to see and hear material that is not captured in meeting minutes or reported by the press;
11. Help educate students on government processes;
12. Increase general political awareness in the community;
13, Reinforce the idea that the government works for the people, not behind closed doors; and
14. Many other reasons not listed here.
Many people these days consider it backwards not to livestream public meetings, since resources show that:
- These South Carolina cities are already doing so:
o Aiken (C), Charleston (D), Columbia (E), Fort Mill (F), Goose Creek (F), Hardeeville (G), Rock Hill (H), and York(I); and - These South Carolina counties were listed as doing so:
o Abbeville, Georgetown, Williamsburg, and York. (J)
Times When Livestreaming Meetings Would Have Been Helpful
1. During Council’s June 3, 2025, meeting, a Public Hearing took place regarding an AI data center, during which one speaker asked 12 specific questions, none of which Council members addressed, but Council subsequently approved the ordinance authorizing the Fee in Lieu of Tax and Incentive Agreement anyway. (Agenda: G.1., H.1.) (K)
2. During Council’s February 3, 2026, Work Session, a presentation was made via Zoom meeting about impact fees.
In my opinion, this use of technology was a win-win.
It would have been very helpful if the people of Aiken County could have seen the presentation about impact fees, to keep them informed.
3. During Council’s March 17, 2026, meeting, the County Attorney made an excellent presentation on a Resolution in Opposition to H. 5321, A Bill to Establish the “Horse Creek Regional Public Service Authority” and to Dissolve the Aiken County Public Service Authority. (Agenda K.1.) (L)
This is the only time when I have personally heard that two government entities — Aiken County Council and the Aiken County Legislative Delegation, both of which represent Aiken County voters — had a major disagreement.
It would have been very helpful if the people — including Aiken County citizens, Aiken County businesses, and the Delegation — could have seen not only the PowerPoint presentation, but also Council’s interaction with the County Attorney about this subject.
4. During Council’s April 14, 2026, meeting, a Public Hearing took place about a proposed ordinance regarding putting a referendum about Sunday alcohol sales and consumption on an upcoming ballot. (Agenda: G.3.) (M)
In my opinion, it would have been helpful if people could have heard the viewpoints presented.
I could provide numerous other examples of when livestreaming Aiken County Council meetings — including Committee meetings — would have been helpful.
Calls to Livestream Aiken County Meetings
1. During the Judicial and Public Safety Committee meeting on January 6, 2026 (N), and during Aiken County Council’s meeting on January 20, 2026 (O), two different people requested that all public meetings be broadcast online.
2. I have publicly requested seven (7) times that Aiken County Council approve funding for livestreaming meetings — on 11/19/2024, 3/18/2025, 5/6/2025, 6/3/2025, 7/15/2025, 2/3/2026, and 4/14/2026 — one of those speeches being made during the Public Hearing on Aiken County’s budget for Fiscal Year 2025-2026.
3. For two years in a row, one County Councilman has requested that money for livestreaming meetings be put in the County’s budget.
How Much Money is Really Required?
On October 29, 2014, the City of Aiken announced, “Live and Archived City Council Meetings Now Available on YouTube.” (P)
At that time, the City of Aiken was paying $1,500 a month for this service. (P)
Multiplying $1,500 per month times 12 months per year, the annual cost would have been (at that time) $18,000.
One Aiken County Councilman proposed modifying the County’s budget to allow for $80,000 per year for video services.
That price seemed high to me, but upon further investigation, I learned that that price quote had been received from a county department.
I requested publicly that that quote be examined in detail because livestreaming public meetings to YouTube or other video platforms cost a fraction of the cost cited.
I have not received an answer to my request.
Aiken County Voters Must Speak Up
Even though a line near the top of every Aiken County Council meeting agenda reads, “Council Administrator Form of Government…”, the Aiken County Organizational Chart (Q) clearly shows that Aiken County Voters are over numerous government entities, including Aiken County Council.
Furthermore, we know that The Declaration of Independence (R) says that,
“Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” meaning that Aiken County Government derives its just powers from the people of Aiken County.
Going beyond just livestreaming Council meetings, I have publicly requested that Aiken County Government’s budget include paying for livestreaming, recording, and archiving videos of all public meetings, including, but not limited to, meetings of:
- the Planning Commission;
- the Board of Appeals;
- the Voter Registration and Elections Board;
- all Aiken County Council committees; and
- Aiken County Council’s work sessions, regular meetings, and special meetings.
In my opinion, there is no valid reason why Aiken County Council should delay approving funding for livestreaming, recording, and archiving services similar to those used by the City of Aiken.
Yet, the request for this service can’t come from just a couple of concerned Aiken County citizens. There must be a massive outpouring of requests from across Aiken County.
Urgent Call to Action
The Aiken County Administrator presented a proposed FY 2027 County Budget to Aiken County Council during their meeting on May 5, 2026. (S)
Since Aiken County Council has been holding budget work sessions for the 2026-2027 Fiscal Year, now is the time when the Aiken County Voters’ voices need to be heard.
This urgent call to action is for Aiken County Voters to:
- contact (T) their Council members and the Council Chairman by no later than June 12, 2026; and
- request that, in their FY 2026-2027 budget, money be allocated to pay for livestreaming, recording, and archiving videos of all public meetings, with implementation this calendar year.
The budget must be passed by the end of June, so time is of the essence.
(Editor’s note: The Aiken County Council Public Hearing on the 2026-2027 County budget will be held Tuesday, June 2, 2026, at 1930 University Parkway (County Administration Building, 3rd Floor) at 7 pm. This is the Second Reading and vote on the matter. The Third Reading will likely be June 16th).
References:
A. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aiken_County,_South_Carolina
B. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rhode_Island
C. https://www.cityofaikensc.gov/event/city-council-meeting/
D. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxDws_o-1voXBNOAZ17gZxw
E. https://columbiasc.gov/city-of-columbia-launches-new-online-meeting-management-system/
F. https://www.masc.sc/uptown/10-2022/online-engagement-brings-local-government-residents
G. https://hardeevillesc.gov/2355/Live-Broadcast
I. https://www.yorkcountygov.com/531/Meeting-Videos
J. https://www.sccounties.org/sites/default/files/uploads/resources/virtual_meetings.pdf
K. https://files.teamup.com/3997068/attachment/01JWRPQ96QYKG3BNYQDV51ZVGQ/Council%20AGENDA%206.3.25.pdf?hash=0c42b0f8a5dc72bf851a6c018adbeccc4e1293237cb32e64cc85ab305f681069
L. https://sc-aikencounty.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_03172026-100
M. https://sc-aikencounty.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_04142026-114
O. https://sc-aikencounty.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_01202026-42
P. https://www.cityofaikensc.gov/live-archived-city-council-meetings-now-available-youtube/
Q. https://www.aikencountysc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/522/County-Organizational-Chart-PDF-
R. https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/declaration-transcript
S. https://sc-aikencounty.civicplus.com/AgendaCenter/ViewFile/Agenda/_05052026-137
Thank you Vicki! You are a treasure for Aiken County with your research and your knowledge.
Listen, informed information is power