For many years, critics of the Town have claimed that it provides no services and that this somehow implies that the Town must raise taxes in the future.
Recently, I heard the claim that the Town provides no police, fire, garbage or recycling.
Law enforcement in the Town is provided by the Charleston County Sheriff's Office. Charleston County Sheriff, Al Cannon, is not supportive of the Town having an independent police force. I believe it is unnecessary and expensive.
The Town has instead developed the Island Sheriff's Patrol. We pay extra in order to have additional Sheriff's Deputies provide law enforcement in the Town. So, the Town does provide for law enforcement, though without an independent police force. Sargent Shawn James coordinates the Island Sheriff's Patrol. He gives a report at all the Town meetings. He very much is concerned with protecting and serving the people of the Town.
If the unincorporated area of James Island returns to the Town, the Island Sheriff's Patrol will also provide extra law enforcement in those areas. This means that if you have speeding problems on your street, you can call Town Hall, and we will assign additional patrols the control the problem. If there are break-ins in your area, there will be extra patrols at night.
The Town of James Island primarily receives fire protection from the James Island Public Service District (JIPSD.) Those in the unincorporated area of James Island also primarily receive fire protection from the JIPSD. If the unincorporated area of James Island returns to the Town, there will be no change in fire protection. It will continue to be primarily provided by the JIPSD. Those in the Town pay property tax to the JIPSD for fire services. Those in the unincorporated area of James Island also pay taxes to the JIPSD for fire services. If the unincorporated area of James Island returns to the Town, there will be no change in the property taxes paid for fire serves.
For many years now, there has been a mutual aid agreement between the JIPSD Fire Department and the City of Charleston (and Folly Beach) Fire Departments. For this reason, the City of Charleston Fire Department helps the JIPSD fight fires in the Town of James Island and the unincorporated area of James Island. This will continue if the unincorporated area of James Island is returned to the Town of James Island.
The people in the Town and in the unincorporated area pay nothing directly to the City of Charleston for this help, but the taxes collected by the JIPSD pay for the James Island Fire Department, and the James Island Fire Department helps fight fires in other areas, especially in the areas of James Island annexed to the City of Charleston (or the City of Folly Beach.) None of this will change if the unincorporated area of James Island returns to the Town.
One of the strangest elements of our local public finances is that while James Islanders who annex to the City of Charleston or the City of Folly Beach pay no taxes to the JIPSD, the City of Charleston and the City of Folly Beach pay the JIPSD an amount equal to the property taxes those property owners would have paid to the JIPSD for fire services if they had not been annexed. These payments are required by a federal court order. The reason for the order is a federal statute that protects entities receiving federal loans to provide water , sewer, or fire services.
If the Town of James Island were to provide its own fire service independent of the JIPSD, the Town would be subject to the same federal law. As long as the JIPSD owes money to the federal government, the Town would be required to pay a substantial portion (approximately half) of the cost of the JIPSD service, while providing a duplicate fire service of our own. Since only a small fraction of the City of Charleston and Folly Beach is made up of areas annexed on James Island, this wasteful practice imposes a tolerable burden on their budgets. Since all of the Town of James Island is on James Island, this federal law makes a fire department independent of the JIPSD not only irrational but also economically unfeasible for the Town.
The Town of James Island receives solid waste collection (garbage and trash) from the JIPSD. Those in the unincorporated area of James Island also receive solid waste collection from the JIPSD. If the unincorporated portion of James Island were returned to the Town, this would not change. Those in the Town and the unincorporated area pay for this service with property taxes levied by the JIPSD. If the unincorporated portion of James Island were returned to the Town, this should not impact the property taxes needed to pay for this service, either for old or new residents of the Town.
The Town levies a property tax and provides an equal property tax credit resulting in no net property tax liability due the Town. The percent of property taxes paid by Town residents that go to the Town is zero. We will do the same for all the new residents if the Town is reunited.
I have asked the JIPSD to provide solid waste services to the residents of the Town by contract, while reducing the amount of property taxes they collect in the Town. If the majority of JIPSD Commissioners agree, then a substantial property tax reduction would be possible. If the unincorporated portion of James Island is returned to the Town, such a plan would be simpler since all property taxpayers in the JIPSD could have the same, lower property tax rate.
Recycling is provided to residents of the Town of James Island by Charleston County. Charleston County also provides the service to residents of the unincorporated portion of James Island as well as residents of the City of Charleston. Payment for this is a $99 fee on the property tax bill. There would be no change if those in the unincorporated area of James Island rejoin the Town. Charleston County would continue to provide the service to both new and old residents of the Town. It would foolish and wasteful for the Town of James Island to have a separate recycling program.
The Town provides services. The Town has staff providing planning and zoning, building, code enforcement, business license, and public works services. We work closely with Charleston County in many of these areas. Still, our goal is for our residents who need these services to be able to do everything here on James Island and avoid a trip to Bridgeview in North Charleston. The Town has been very successful in leveraging our funds to pay for public works improvements. We have paved roads and constructed sidewalks. While County crews do substantial basic public work in the Town, just as they do in the unincorporated area of James Island, the Town regularly supplements this work with private contracts paid with Town money, especially when backlogs create long delays for the County. The Town maintains and has improved Dock Street Park and is preparing to open Pinckney Park.
Taxes in the Town, even including the JIPSD property tax, are lower than in the City of Charleston. There are few cost savings compared to being in the County, but one is that the storm water fee in the Town is only $48 rather than the $72 now charged by the County.
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