Calhoun County schools need no tax increase
By TUCKER LYON, T&D Government WriterTuesday, May 20, 2008ST. MATTHEWS - No tax increase will likely be needed to fund the Calhoun County school budget, County Council heard Monday.
Council gave first reading, by title only, to the public school budget, which, in addition to the school district, includes Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College and the Mental Retardation Commission.
County Administrator Lee Prickett said that, according to a recent state Education Improvement Act report, the county’s local funding effort is $7,435,490.84. Due to a drop in student enrollment, from 1,591 to 1,520, the county’s required portion of the school district budget is down from the current $7,474,843.
“We don’t anticipate any millage increase in the schools,” Prickett said.
Dr. Anne Crook, president of OCtech, thanked council for its support, provided an update on the college’s budget and complained about rising fuel costs. To cut some costs, she said, the proposed 2 percent raise for employees was reduced to 1 percent.
“Our fuel costs are going out of sight,” Crook said. “Our fuel costs are up for our vehicles and our utility costs are tremendous.”
Funding for the Mental Retardation Commission has been cut $20,000 to $32,000, which was described as in line with what other counties spend.
In other budget-related business, council gave second reading to three separate county budget ordinances for the general fund, for capital improvements and debt service and for water and wastewater.
As previously discussed, Prickett said that, due primarily to rising fuel costs, the general fund portion of the county budget will probably require a 3- to 5-mill increase to fund. The budget is up 7.59 percent, from $9.75 million to $10.49 million. Revenues have increased by $600,000, primarily due to the penny tax proceeds.
Still in the budget is a 3 percent cost-of-living raise for employees.
Water and wastewater bills will not be increased, although bills will be sent out six times a year, instead of 12, in order to save on postage and fuel costs related to reading meters.
In other business, council:
* After a public hearing, gave final third reading to an ordinance approving an intergovernmental agreement with the school district to set aside and use 100 percent of certain fee-in-lieu-of-taxes payments from the Starbucks roasting plant for the repayment of bonds.
* After a public hearing, gave final third reading to an ordinance adding the “Shaw tract” in Lexington County to the joint Lexington-Calhoun Industrial Park. Under the state multi-county industrial park economic development incentive, Lexington County will receive job credits, while Calhoun County will get 1 percent of the fees.
* Gave first reading, by title only, to an ordinance adopting standard energy conservation building codes.
* Gave first reading, by title only, to an ordinance adopting the 2006 International Building Codes.
* Appointed Prickett and Pat Black to the Property Tax Association at the industrial park. Along with Ed Mills, plant manager of Starbucks, the association will maintain the common areas, such as roads, at the park.
* Received as information, notification that a letter was being sent to the Transportation Commission asking it to meet to consider several county issues. Particularly, the county has received an offer from a developer to fund half the costs of paving Griffiths Road.
T&D Government Writer Tucker Lyon can be reached at tlyon@timesanddemocrat.com or by calling 803-533-5545.
