Florence County Council approves budget with hospitality tax

Florence County Council has approved third and final reading of its fiscal year 2008-09 budget, which includes a 2 percent hospitality tax on prepared food and beverages.

The budget, which was unanimously approved Thursday and goes into effect July 1, includes more than $49.1 million in the county’s general fund.

The 2 percent sales tax in the budget will establish a Florence County Cultural Commission and help the Florence Museum of Art, Science and History find $7.8 million to match $3.9 million from the state for a new museum. The tax would go into effect Oct. 1.

Collections of the tax also would benefit Lake City’s National Bean Market Museum.

The tax would apply in unincorporated areas of the county. The county’s municipalities — except for Florence and Pamplico, which already have a 2 percent hospitality tax — would see a 1 percent increase and could opt to add an additional 1 percent to the tax.

Council on Thursday also selected Andrew Kampiziones and Betsy Olsen as its first appointments to the Cultural Commission.

Councilman Mitchell Kirby was not present at Thursday’s meeting.

After an executive session of more than three hours, council emerged at the end of the meeting to introduce two ordinances regarding an economic development effort called “Project JLL.”

The ordinances are to amend an agreement for a multicounty industrial park between Florence and Williamsburg counties and institute a fee-in-lieu-of-tax agreement for the project.

The executive session also included a personnel matter regarding the tax assessor’s office, but the council took no vote on that matter. The council voted last month to review a grievance filed by former Tax Assessor Leval Williams, who was fired in March.

The council also announced it will hold a ground-breaking ceremony June 20 for the new animal control facility in Effingham.

Thursday’s meeting also included a presentation from Jeff McKay, executive director of the North Eastern Strategic Alliance, or NESA.

Councilman Ken Ard said he’s concerned that major NESA efforts — including Interstate 73 and a new regional airport — won’t produce “tangible results” for Florence County.

When asked about NESA’s involvement in Heinz’s decision to locate a plant in Florence County, McKay gave credit to the Florence County Economic Development Partnership and county council.

“If that’s the case, then I think it’s pretty obvious there’s a disconnect between NESA and Florence County,” Ard said after the meeting.

Ard also said Florence County should be more involved in NESA.

McKay, however, said NESA supports Santee Cooper’s proposed coal-fired plant in Kingsburg when he was asked by council Chairman Rusty Smith.

Smith, however, said many Florence County industries use the Florence Regional Airport and that he’s concerned the Federal Aviation Administration wouldn’t allow two airports so close together if a new airport were built in a surrounding county.

Florence County resident Francis Heath also approached council members Thursday to ask for their support in finding a funding source to pave Country Lane, a dirt road between Effingham and Timmonsville.

He also suggested the council form a fund to improve drainage canals, which he called a countywide problem.

In other business, the council:

• Appointed Ernie Smith to the county’s Board of Zoning Appeals.

• Recognized Florence County/Municipal Planning Commission chairman Glynn Willis for his service to the county.

• Recognized Javae R. McWhite, Courtney A. Law, Taylor L. Timmons and Kimberly T. Cade for earning Girl Scout Gold Awards.

• Deferred a vote on recommended allocations for $250,000 in state accommodations tax collections.