Taxes, fees going up in Bishopville

By RANDY BURNS
Item Staff Writer
rburns@theitem.com

The Bishopville City Council gave approval at its meeting Tuesday night at the Colclough Building to a Fiscal Year 2010 budget that will require an increase in taxes and user fees for Bishopville residents.

Residents are also likely to pay more for fire insurance.

The council gave approval to a $4.26 million budget, consisting of $2.4 million in general funds and $1.86 million for water and sewer.

The operational budget will require a 3.8 millage increase despite a decline in projected expenditures from $2.5 million in FY 2009. Garbage collection fees will increase by almost 4 percent.

"We realize that the general fund budget is less than last year, yet we are increasing our taxes and garbage fees," said Mayor Tom Alexander. "This is necessary because our state funding to subdivisions has been reduced, and we cannot continue dipping into our contingency fund in order to balance the budget."

It's going to cost the city more to provide water and sewer services, with the budget going up from $1.79 million in FY 2009.

Bishopville residents will pay 2 percent more for water and sewer in FY 2010.

"We can still enjoy some of the lowest water and sewer rates in the state," Alexander said. "Currently, we are the 20th lowest on water out of 239 municipalities in the state. And we are the 11th lowest on sewer out of 204 municipalities."

City Administrator Gregg McCutchen said the city's contingency for general operations totals about $24,000 and its reserve for water and sewer is about $200,000.

City officials say they have no plans to reduce employee salaries.

"We regret that this budget does not include a cost-of-living raise for employees, but at least we have no plans for furloughs or layoffs," said McCutchen.

Bishopville residents are likely to see their fire insurance premium rates go up in the months ahead, as the city will not renew a five-year contract with Lee County that required the county to ensure the Insurance Service Office rating in Bishopville would not increase higher than a 4 rating during the period of agreement. Most Lee County residents have a 6 ISO rating. Insurance premiums are based upon ISO ratings so residents in the city limits enjoy lower fire insurance premiums because of the lower ISO rating.

The city and county's fire service agreement ends June 30.

In a June 10 letter to city council, County Administrator Bobby Boland wrote that maintaining a 4 ISO rating will take more firemen, equipment, training, communications and infrastructure.

Lee County Councilman Travis Windham said property owners can expect an increase in fire insurance premiums ranging from $150 to $300 if the city's ISO rating increases to a 6 rating.

At Tuesday's city council meeting, Alexander said the amount requested by the county for fire service would require a 66 millage increase for Bishopville residents.

"We also regret that this budget does not include enhanced fire protection above and beyond what the county normally provides to its citizens," Alexander said. "We just can't afford it."

McCutchen said the city's cost for operating a fire station before it merged with the county was about $120,000.

"It didn't save us money at the time to disband our fire department," McCutchen said. "It was a wash. We did it because we were dealing with an aging force and we felt like we didn't have the resources to continue."