State auditors: SC farmers market should charge more fees

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina auditors say the State Farmers Market cannot sustain itself without taxpayer money and the Department of Agriculture should find new ways to increase revenue from the site.

The Legislative Audit Council says in a report Thursday that lawmakers first gave the Department of Agriculture $300,000 in 2013 to cover a deficit and help run the market that opened in Lexington County in 2010. That amount has stayed in the budget yearly since.

The market is a public-private partnership between the Department of Agriculture and private businesses.

The audit says the department should improve oversight of vendors and developers to increase revenue, and charge fees for parking and special events admission.

In 2013, Gov. Nikki Haley said the market should operate from income it generates, not taxpayer money.