Rock Hill residents could pay about $6 more a month on their water and electricity rates, based on the city's proposed 2011-2012 budget.
A 5 percent water rate increase will cover capital projects while a 5 percent electric rate increase will cover an increase from Piedmont Municipal Power Agency.
The city raised its water and electricity rates last fiscal year as well.
The proposed budget does not call for a property tax rate increase. The city has not had one of those since the 2006-2007 fiscal year.
The city could offer businesses a special discount if they pay their license fee on or before the April 30, 2012, due date. That idea was one of several proposed during the city's 2011-2012 budget workshop Thursday for city staff and council members.
The city is preparing a $180 million budget, up from last year's $168 million fiscal budget.
Several ideas were put forth before the council Thursday, including the special discount for businesses.
City Manager David Vehaun acknowledged that Rock Hill offers lower business license prices than other cities, such as Greenville and Spartanburg. For example, a typical grocery chain store in Rock Hill pays an annual license fee of $15,535, compared with $40,346 in Greenville.
Vehaun said with the proposed special discount, the typical grocery store could save 20 percent of that $15,535 next fiscal year, followed by a 15 percent savings the following year, then 10 percent the year after and 5 percent the year after that.
Vehaun said the city had not raised license rates in several years and that this measure would show the city is business friendly.
"I think this could really make a difference," he said. "It sends a message to businesses in our community and businesses outside of our community, that Rock Hill is an attractive place to do business."
Another proposal, discussed by Stephen Turner, city economic development director, would encourage action against habitual downtown parking offenders.
When a person stays in a downtown parking space for more than the 2-hour time limit, , he receives a fine of $10, reduced to $5 if paid early. The problem is there's no way to distinguish between first-time visitors and habitual offenders, Turner said. A person can collect hundreds of dollars worth of tickets, and the collection of those fines is hard to enforce because those cases would not wind up in municipal court.
Turner's recommendation calls for a handheld device that, once a person's tag number is entered, could indicate whether that person has had tickets in the past. First-time visitors or guests would receive some kind of flier or pamphlet with information about where to park if they plan to stay past the designated time and a map.
"We don't ever want downtown parking to be a reason why people choose not to come to Rock Hill," he said.
The recommendation calls for the parking tickets of habitual offenders to be reassigned under purview of the municipal court.
Council will meet again in May to further discuss the budget and proposals.
The council will vote on the 2011-2012 budget in June. The fiscal year begins July 1.
