Information presented on the County of Dorchester S.C. Web site is collected, organized, and provided for the convenience of the user. While the County of Dorchester will endeavor to keep such information accurate and up-to-date, due to the possibility of unauthorized modification of the data, transmission errors, HTML browser incompatibilities, changes made since the last update to the web site, other problems associated with electronic communications or other operational problems the County cannot, and does not, warrant the authenticity or reliability of such information. The County is not liable for reliance on this information or for the consequences of reliance on any information contained on, or linked to, the County’s Web site. With respect to documents and information on this Web site, the County of Dorchester, its employees and contractors hereby specifically disclaim any and all warranties, expressed or implied, including the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose. The County of Dorchester does not assume any legal liability for the accuracy, completeness, or usefulness of any information, product or process disclosed on the County Website. By the placement of information on the County website, the County of Dorchester does not make any representations concerning the user’s rights, if any, to further duplicate the information found thereon or that the use of such information would not infringe on any privately owned rights.

HYPERLINK POLICY

The County of Dorchester site includes hyperlinks to other sites on the Internet World Wide Web that are neither controlled, sponsored nor endorsed by the County. We have included these links to give access to other organizations with expertise that may be of value as an educational or reference tool or because they may be related to the mission of the County. The County takes no responsibility for the views, content or accuracy of this information, nor do we endorse any content or products that may be advertised or noted on these hyperlinked web sites.

HYPERLINK EVALUATION PROCESS

Hyperlinks to any Web site other than those of the County of Dorchester will be approved by the County’s Public Information Office and/or the Office of the Administrator. 

HYPERLINK CRITERIA

• Local, state, and federal government agencies.
• Organizations with expertise that may be of value as an educational or
  reference tool or because they may be related to the mission of the County.
• Organizations that promote tourism, trade and industry within the
  community.
• Organizations that provide utilities that serve the residents of the County of
  Dorchester.
• Commercial – Web sites focusing primarily on product endorsement/sales
  will not be considered.

DISCLAIMER OF ALL WARRANTIES

There are no warranties, expressed, implied or statutory, as to any of the information contained through this web site whatsoever, including, but not limited to, its merchantability or its fitness for any particular purpose.

PRIVACY STATEMENT

There is no reasonable expectation of privacy in the use of this public computer system. All County computer systems are subject to monitoring at all times to assure proper functioning of the systems, to provide security for the computer system’s operation and the information contained therein, to prevent unauthorized use, and deter and investigate violations of law. Also, e-mail in general is not necessarily secure against interception and sending errors.

If a person sends the County e-mail that contains personally identifiable information, the County will use the information to respond to the user. The County may also forward that e-mail to another government agency. Also, certain e-mail may constitute a public record and be subject to discloser under state law. When a user links to another Web site through the County Web site, the user is subject to the privacy policy and all disclaimers of the new site.

Pursuant to South Carolina Code of Laws of 1976, Sec.30-4-20,ET Squitur, as amended, (c) "Public record" includes all books, papers, maps, photographs, cards, tapes, recordings or other documentary materials regardless of physical form or characteristics prepared, owned, used, in the possession of, or retained by a public body. Records such as income tax returns, medical records, hospital medical staff reports, scholastic records, adoption records, records related to registration, and circulation of library materials which contain names or other personally identifying details regarding the users of public, private, school, college, technical college, university, and state institutional libraries and library systems, supported in whole or in part by public funds or expending public funds, or records which reveal the identity of the library patron checking out or requesting an item from the library or using other library services, except nonidentifying administrative and statistical reports of registration and circulation, and other records which by law are required to be closed to the public are not considered to be made open to the public under the provisions of this act; nothing herein authorizes or requires the disclosure of those records where the public body, prior to January 20, 1987, by a favorable vote of three-fourths of the membership, taken after receipt of a written request, concluded that the public interest was best served by not disclosing them.

Nothing herein authorizes or requires the disclosure of records of the Board of Financial Institutions pertaining to applications and surveys for charters and branches of banks and savings and loan associations or surveys and examinations of the institutions required to be made by law.
Please also refer to South Carolina State Law Sec.30-4-50 for information concerning declared public information.