Polk County property owners should expect an increase in taxes this year as the board of commissioners is proposing a two-cent increase specifically to pay for debt service for a new jail. 

County manager Marche Pittman presented the balanced budget to commissioners on Friday, May 27. The budget is a total of $30,754,549 with the tax rate proposed at $53.75 cents per $100 of property valuation, including the two-cent increase. The budget is also proposed to have increases in four of six county fire departments. There were five fire departments that requested increases for next fiscal year. Tryon Fire Department was the only one not granted an increase, which was a request for one cent not granted by the county last year. Tryon Fire Department received a two-cent increase last year after requesting a three-cent increase.

The Columbus Fire Department tax rate is proposed to increased ½ cent, from 6.5 cents to 7 cents; The Green Creek Fire Department tax rate is proposed to increase one and ½ cents, from 4.1 cents to 5.6 cents; the Mill Spring Fire Department tax rate is proposed to increase ½ cent, from 6.5 cents to 7 cents and the Saluda Fire Department is proposed to increase one cent, from 8.5 cents to 9.5 cents. Tryon Fire Department is proposed to stay at 6.8 cents and the Sunny View Fire Department, which is the only department that did not request a tax increase, is proposed to stay at 6 cents.

There are also proposed changes to the solid waste enterprise fund (transfer station) fee schedule next year. The county is proposing a $2 per ton increase to commercial haulers, a $10 per item fee on all electronics disposed of at the transfer station and a $20 per ton fee on “clean fill material,” block, brick, concrete, asphalt or uncontaminated dirt.

Pittman said the increases will put the county more in line with fees in surrounding counties and help off-set a potential operating loss in this year’s budget, as well as to help pay for future capital expenses and equipment. The electronics and clean fill material fee charges will no longer be covered under the county’s annual $35 solid waste availability fee, which is included on property owners’ annual tax bill.

The proposed budget, which will begin July 1, is the first in a few years that no general fund money is used to balance the budget. In previous years, commissioners decided to use fund balance money to fund capital expenditures.

Pittman said this year the county has seen an increase in taxable property, primarily due to growth at the Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC).

“Our taxable property has increased by over $83 million from last year,” Pittman said.

Major capital expenditures proposed for next year’s budget include $236,200 for new vehicles and capital needs for the sheriff’s office; $135,183 for two new vans for the transportation department ($25,310 in county costs); $91,984 for a transit ambulance and a defibrillator; $85,000 for the recreation department to grade Searcy Field; $78,610 for solid waste to purchase a used tractor, repair the concrete floor of the building, create a new clean fill area and new signage for the entrance; $42,364 for a public computer and network infrastructure replacement for the library ($28,506 county cost); $12,000 for the department of social services (DSS) to upgrade computers and printers (county cost is $5,400) and $10,000 for a new side arm mower tractor attachment for the recreation complex.

There are also several personnel changes proposed in the new budget that will cost additional funding.

The sheriff’s office is proposed to hire a new officer; an additional EMS position is proposed to be created in order to give 24/7 coverage with two EMTs per truck, which will give two fully staffed trucks at all times; the creation of a consolidated human services agency director in DSS, which will be partially paid for through reimbursement; the creation of an income maintenance position to maintain the day care voucher program at DSS, which will be half paid for through reimbursement; a full-time position for DSS for a Medicaid worker and fraud investigator that will be reimbursed by the state and half paid for by the Polk Health Center and to make two part-time positions full-time in the transportation department to help recruiting efforts.

The proposed budget also includes a merit-based, one-time payment incentive for all employees effective Jan. 1, 2017.

The Polk County School system is requesting a 1.26 percent increase over this year’s budget. The school system is the county’s largest department in the county’s budget, and makes up 23 percent of the county’s budget.

Another major budget item in next year’s proposal is transferring $300,000 to capital reserve for Turner Shoal’s Dam repairs.

“The $300,000 for dam repair is equivalent to a payment on a $3.5 million loan amortization,” said Pittman. “The amount of money that has been allocated would allow us to finance dam repairs when a future or current board of commissioners chooses to do so.”

Pittman also said the two-cent tax increase proposed will be used to make a debt service payment on the new law enforcement facility.

“This increase will cover half of the annual payment needed to build the new facility,” Pittman said. “Property taxes will have to be raised again in the 17-18 fiscal year for the second debt service payment, unless a major new source of revenue can be found or a future BOC (board of commissioners) chooses to make large cuts to programs or services.”

For the future, Pittman said the county has seen a tremendous amount of growth in the past few years, however, Polk has become aware of a potential drop in taxable property values that will take effect during the next revaluation cycle.

“The drop in value is left over from the 2008-2009 economic recession and is now affecting us due to our revaluation schedule,” said Pittman. “Unfortunately, our growth probably won’t be enough to offset the reduction to taxable property values next year. We need to be prepared for the possibility that the 2017-2018 fiscal year will require that we offset the loss in taxable property values.”

Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Monday, June 6 at 7 p.m. Commissioners are scheduled to adopt the new budget during its regular meeting on Monday, June 20.