Fort Mill eyes $35.6 million budget; Some tax bills may rise though rates unchanged

Fort Mill Town Council passed the first of two readings Monday night on a $35.6 million budget for the coming fiscal year, up more than 37 percent from the current year.

There isn’t a tax rate increase, but residents could pay more in taxes. This year brings a revaluation. So the same 86-mil rate on a property that increased in value would mean a higher total bill. The town could have rolled back millage to 82 mils to offset the re-vaulation, or increased it to more than 88 mils.

Chantay Bouler, town finance director, said sticking with the same rate splits the difference.

“This budget does not recommend a change for the fiscal year,” she said.

The budget, for the year beginning Oct. 1, includes 17 full-time and two part-time positions including firefighters, police and an utilities director.

“Most of it this year is all public safety,” said Dennis Pieper, town manager. “Police, firefighters would make up a good bit of that.”

The utilities director would be in charge of water and wastewater programs currently handled by Davy Broom, public works director. The position could pay about $60,000 per year. Broom will focus on other public works duties, including street maintenance, grounds and garbage collection.

“As our system grows, it’s gotten too big for one person to handle all of that,” Pieper said.

One concern with the needed hires is where to put them. Both the town police and administration departments are outgrowing the building they share. New facilities for both were part of a long-range needs list formed as the town debated, and ultimately passed, impact fees.

For now, Pieper said, the new administrative positions would involve putting desks into whatever empty spaces the town can find in the current building.

“That’s all we can do,” he said. “There’s nowhere else to put them.”

Some of the items listed in the budget still would require further action from council members before dollars change hands. Some of the $2.5 million for fire service, up 47 percent from the current year, includes new positions for a new station in the southern part of town. Council members haven’t decided whether to renovate an existing property or build a new station.

The fire department has a review coming up in December. Council members want to put a plan together so they aren’t approving hires for a station they never build.

“I’d rather us make a final decision on what’s needed,” Councilwoman Guynn Savage said.

More than half of the $13.4 million general fund will go to police and fire protection. It also includes a 3 percent cost of living increase for town employees. Sanitation costs are up more than 106 percent from the current year, and street costs 42 percent. Personnel costs make up 61 percent of the general fund.

The gross revenue fund, which includes water and wastewater operations, comes in at $19.3 million. That figures is 58 percent higher than the current year, largely due to design for and early work on wastewater treatment plant upgrades. Waste treatment jumped from a little more than $700,000 this year to $9.1 million for the coming year. That figure includes bonded money.

Due to the upgrades, capital costs for the gross revenue fund make up nearly 63 percent, compared to 30 percent for operations and 7 percent for personnel.

The gross fund factors in a 3 percent rate increase for water and sewer.

The stormwater utility fund that began in the current fiscal year should generate $1.1 million in the coming year, up 74 percent. Most of that new money is a transfer from the general fund, though stormwater fees should increase more than 22 percent in the new year.

The final budget is a $1.6 million capital projects fund. It includes $365,000 in hospitality tax collections. The fund has a fire station renovation, accounting software, sidewalk projects and a leaf collection site among its costs.

Second and final reading is scheduled for Sept. 28.

This story was originally published September 16, 2015 at 12:01 PM with the headline "Fort Mill eyes $35.6 million budget; Some tax bills may rise though rates unchanged."