Saluda commissioner candidates faced off Sunday, Oct. 30 in a forum that drew about 50 residents and many questions.
Incumbent commissioner candidates John Morgan and Leon Morgan are being challenged this year by Lynn Cass for two open seats.
The forum was held at the Saluda Senior Center and moderated by Henry Bright. Residents were able to ask questions in written form and from the floor. The moderator also asked some questions.
The questions asked candidates to comment on issues ranging from the city’s recent 10-cent tax increase to partnering with the county and towns to form a water authority.
Tax increase
All candidates said they do not support the recent tax increase, with both incumbents saying they voted against it. Cass said she would not have supported the tax increase either.
“Commissioners did support the tax rate but I did not,” John Morgan said. “I wanted to negotiate a lower rate then take a look at it next year.”
John Morgan added that the cost of living in Saluda is going to get so high the city will start losing people. He suggested the city look into a sales tax to help increase revenue.
“To put on 10 cents right now in a bad economy was a bad idea,” John Morgan said. “We’re adding to our fund balance but we need to be careful how vigorously we go after that.”
Leon Morgan said he did not vote for the tax increase either.
“I felt like it was too much,” Leon Morgan said. “It was truly a burden on some people. Some people got a sizeable increase.”
Cass said she wouldn’t have voted for the tax increase either.
“I think it was too much at one time,” Cass said. “I just think when people got their bill nobody quite understood it. When you see your bill go up 20 percent… (the city) needs to communicate that better.”
Cass said she thinks the city should look at smart growth and lower taxes. She suggested the city create a community forum to ask residents what businesses Saluda needs, such as along Ozone Drive.
“We’ve got to have more people in town to pay taxes,” Cass said. “We need all the revenue we can get.”
Tourism
The next question came from the audience and asked candidates how they feel tourism affects Saluda.
All candidates said tourism is positive for Saluda; Leon Morgan said every time there is an art show sales go up. Cass said tourism equals economic development. She said if a train came through and dumped people in Saluda, “we’d find a way to handle it.”
John Morgan said tourism is very important to Saluda and mentioned the rails to trails effort as well, saying Saluda needs to plan ahead for that possibility.
Comunicating with residents
Another audience question related to communication. One resident said many Saluda residents feel it’s a challenge to know what’s going on. The website was mentioned, saying it lacks information such as time and place of meetings. Residents who attend meetings sit through a long treasurer’s report and have no idea what is being reviewed, one resident said.
“That is really my main campaign platform,” said Cass. “The website needs to be updated; Leon [Morgan] nor [commissioner] George [Sweet’s] bios are even on there.”
Cass said she thinks the city needs a newsletter that goes out once a month with the water bill that directs residents to the website for information. The website should have agendas, minutes and ordinances, Cass said.
“If you go to a city council meeting, you don’t know the agenda until you get there,” she said. “Everybody needs to be informed.”
John Morgan said he’s advocated for an overhead projector for the meetings, but the city doesn’t have the money right now. Nor does the city have the manpower for a newsletter or to update the website, he said. John Morgan said the city needs an email blast and said if someone wants to come forward to volunteer to update the website or produce a newsletter, the city would welcome that.
Leon Morgan said informing residents of Saluda has been a problem as long as he’s lived there. He said emails could be done and even people that come to meetings miss some things that go on.
“I don’t know what the solution is,” Leon Morgan said. “Maybe sending out a letter every month is the answer, but it’s going to cost $1 a copy if we’re lucky. The problem is having the employee time to do it.”
Police services
One written question asked candidates what they thought about giving Polk County money annually to provide police services.
John Morgan said he recently spoke with Polk County Sheriff Donald Hill about the county taking over law enforcement because that’s been a question of his all along.
“If we’re going to go there it would have to be a community decision,” John Morgan said. “What I’m hearing now is we want to maintain our community police. It would be cheaper but is it better in the long run?”
Leon Morgan said it’s nice to be able to call the police department when there is a problem.
“They’re here in two minutes,” Leon Morgan said. “If it’s Polk County, they aren’t going to be here that quick.”
He said a third of the police department money goes to other things than the officers’ salaries and the city would be paying that to Polk County, too. He also said that would need to be a decision from the residents of Saluda, not the board of commissioners.
Cass said she’s spoken to the county manager and to fund four sheriff deputies and cars would cost the same as what the Saluda Police Department costs. She said for the security alone she is in favor of keeping the police department but suggested officers be more visible in the public and visit the school.
Local option sales tax
One audience member asked candidates if the city received a local option sales tax would council consider giving a tax break on property taxes since residents would also pay that sales tax. The question also asked whether candidates would consider a discount on taxes, such as the county offers, for paying taxes early.
All candidates said those options could be considered. John Morgan said he has suggested the local option sales tax in the form of a hospitality tax because of the benefits it has brought the City of Landrum. He said Landrum’s hospitality tax puts more than $100,000 in its coffers.
“With our tourist trade we could be every bit taken care of,” said John Morgan. “I suspect in the future we see that as a vehicle to keep our property taxes in check.”
Joint water authority
A written question asked candidates their thoughts on creating a water authority with the county and towns.
Leon Morgan said Saluda would need to look at it long and hard, because if Saluda goes into an authority it will have to assume the others’ debt.
“Do we want to be responsible for that?” asked Leon Morgan.
He said he doesn’t think it’s good for Saluda but would consider purchasing water from the county authority.
John Morgan said Tryon has $4.5 million in debt on water and Columbus has debt for sewer. He mentioned the Tuckaseigee Water and Sewer Authority, with which Polk County and its towns have met to discuss how they created their authority. John Morgan said Tuckaseigee was forced into an authority because the state condemned their systems and they received an $8 million grant to form the authority.
John Morgan added that he has approached the county about bidding to sell Saluda water.
Cass said she thinks Saluda needs to work with the county and towns but does not know details about the debt. She said she’s always lived in places with water authorities, but if there’s $4.5 million of debt that Saluda doesn’t want to be a part of then she wouldn’t want to join but still wants to work with them.
Polk ordinance restrictions
One question asked candidates’ thoughts on Polk County’s ordinance that restricts Saluda township properties above $1,650 ft. in elevation to single family residences.
All candidates seemed interested in looking into gaining extra-territorial jurisdiction (ETJ) to be able to zone the township areas that cannot have businesses because of the county’s ordinance or looking into annexation to aid those areas.
Free water benefits
Another question expressed concern about non-profits and some residents who have served Saluda receiving some water for free.
John Morgan said if the city is going to take that away it needs to be a community decision.
Non-profits, such as churches, the fire department and the senior center, as well as some residents, have been awarded a certain amount of free water per month.
“It could be very polarizing in town and I don’t want to see that happen,” John Morgan said.
Leon Morgan said he thinks it would be in bad taste if this board took something away that was promised to them. He also said that would have to be a community decision and mentioned that it doesn’t cost the city much money per year; he suspected $500 in actual water costs.
Cass said the issue may be more polarizing that some people are getting free water in Saluda. She said she’d like to see how much it would cost churches if they had to pay. She said she’d rather give service members a stipend every month than have it come from free water.
Early voting in Polk County ends this Saturday and can be done at the Polk County Board of Election’s Office in Columbus between 8:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. through Friday. On Saturday, the office is open from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The general election will be next Tuesday, Nov. 8.