Florence City Council votes to raise taxes, fund improvements

FLORENCE — Florence City Council voted during a special meeting Monday afternoon to impose a 4-mill millage increase beginning in fiscal year 2010-2011.

Council also adopted a resolution to issue general obligation bonds to defray the cost of certain general fund capital improvements.

Council intends to issue the bonds to defray the cost of capital improvements in the fiscal year that began July 1.

Among the improvements and estimated costs are construction of a fire station and acquisition of related apparatus and equipment, $1,600,000; construction assistance for the Florence Area Humane Society no-kill animal shelter, $250,000; Levy Park improvements, $290,000; Iola Jones Park improvements, $540,000; downtown parking, $540,000; downtown streetscapes, $1,225,000; replacement of four sanitation trucks, $850,000; and capital expenses related to housing development and property acquisitions, $400,000.

“We will come back to council at the October meeting with an amended budget that basically outlines what things are increasing or decreasing,” Florence City Manager David Williams said. “We still have a balanced budget, but will be shifting some things around.

“It will take two readings to be adopted. Today was an informal step directing us to prepare that budget amendment.”

Williams said he won’t know the total until “we look at things in detail.”

“It will be spelled out in dollars when we do the budget ordinance, but we haven’t even started preparing that yet,” he said. “The total will remain pretty much the same. We will just be moving monies around inside the budget.”

Council passed a $22,230,000 general fund budget in June.

“There will most likely be a 4-mill increase next year, which means taxpayers won’t seen an additional tax until the fall of 2010,” Williams said. “By putting in place the millage increase, Council will be able to borrow money with bonds. Four mills is an estimate of what we think it would cost to do these capital improvements.”

Councilman Ed Robinson voted against the millage increase. He said he couldn’t see imposing debt on the citizens because it would most adversely affect the “low-income folk.”

“We are going in the wrong direction,” he said. “Are we going to build an animal shelter before we deal with our own kids? This is wrong. You are just taking everything from us and I’m going to fight you with all I’ve got.

“We ain’t crazy, y’all,” he said. “We are getting robbed. What are we getting out of this. We’re losing our children every day. They have no place to go and nothing to do, yet we want to hire 18 additional police officers.

“This is not right. It is ungodly to do what Council is doing. We are suffering and nobody cares.”

Councilwoman Octavia Williams-Blake informed Robinson that many of the proposed improvements are being made in his and councilman Billy D. Williams’ districts.

“They are in the area were the most affluent live in districts 1 and 2,” Robinson countered.