David Ballard works for the state’s Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office as a professional land surveyor examining county boundaries, but the passage of time can complicate that job. Ballard (shown at left in photo with Rotarian Mike Montgomery) was Capital Rotary’s Feb. 20 guest speaker. He explained how the South Carolina Geodetic Survey determines county lines even when many of the border landmarks of the past – like trees, roads and bridges – no longer exist or have been altered by history. Researchers may use colonial records, old maps, plats, land transfers and deeds to help determine boundaries. Fixing exact and proper borders can affect property taxes, fire departments, EMS and police services, schools, enforcement of property rights and election of public officials. It can also involve time and expense, Ballard said, noting that it took 20 years for the states of North and South Carolina to research and agree on the 337-mile border between them.
Feb 202019