The James Island Public Service District passed its 2019-20 budget last night on a 5-2 vote. Commissioner Platt and Commissioner Kathy Woolsey voted against. This was after shortly after the Commissioners defeated the budget 4 to 3, with Commissioners Brown-Crouch and Poston joining Woolsey and Platt to vote against the budget. Repeating the events of last week, when the budget was defeated on first reading, after the defeat on second reading, the motion to adjourn failed with only Commissioners Platt and Brown-Crouch voting in favor. Then there was a vote to reconsider. I believe that a vote to reconsider must be made by someone who had voted against the budget, but it was made by Commissioner Clifford who had voted in favor. The vote to reconsider passed. I believe only Commissioner Platt opposed. And then the budget passed.
Earlier, Commissioner Kathy Woolsey proposed a number of amendments First she tried to limit the increase in sewer rates going into effect in October. She proposed limiting the increase in the base rate to 27 cents rather than 53 cents per month. That failed. Then she tried to roll back last year's 13% property tax increase by 1.2 mils (about 1.5%.) Each amendment failed. The only change in the budget that the Commissioners made was to reduce spending on street signs by $5000, leaving that task to the City, County, and Town..
Many of the Commissioners were unhappy with the process. Commissioner Clifford said "We won't be fooled again." Commissioner Poston echoed her words. Most Commissioners believe that the District's staff refused to work with the majority of Commissioners to reduce the budget and at least partially roll back last year's tax increase.
The Chairman, Alan Laughlin, has taken responsibility for keeping the 2018 property tax increase intact, working with the District's staff to keep the majority of Commissioners from reducing property tax. He has explained that the Commissioners must listen to their staff.
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