The James Island Public Service District's Proposed Budget was distributed to the Commissioners Wednesday night. Copies were distributed to the public and it is now on the JIPSD website. See the proposed budget here.
In my view, the biggest news is a proposed 1.8 mill tax increase for next year. The current millage is 51.1, so that is a tax increase of 3.5%.
Perhaps more troubling is that after a one year break, millage increases of 2.5 in 2017, 2.5 in 2018, 3 in 2019, and 3 in 2020 are proposed. So, over the next five years, the proposal is to raise the millage from 51.1 to 63.9, which is a 25% increase. Since the JIPSD taxes are slightly less than 50% of a homeowners tax bill, this will amount to an approximate 12% increase in a homeowners property tax bill.
These out-year tax hikes are projections and would come up before the Commissioners in each future budget proposal. Only the 3.5% tax hike will come before the Commissioners this year and, if passed, will appear on the tax bills going out in the fall.
The Commissioners have a budget workshop coming up soon, and perhaps this proposed budget will be changed. There will be a public hearing, which will allow the voters of the District an opportunity to provide their input about possible tax increases.
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Thursday, April 23, 2015
Harborview Jam on Wednesday, April 23
Lane closures on the Harborview Road project are supposed to be at night, ending before 6 am in the morning.
Yesterday, on Wednesday, April 23, a lane was closed during morning traffic.
A large trackhoe broke down in he road at 4 in the morning. The emergency repair service failed to show up. An alternative provider was contacted.
I received an email from Charleston County a little after 7 saying that the lane would be closed until 10 am. I shared that on the Town facebook page and sent out an email alert on Town news.
The equipment was repaired a little after 8 and the lane was opened at 8:25. The construction firm will find a new emergency repair service. Hopefully, this won't happen again.
Thank you to County Councilman Joe Qualey for forwarding an explanation of what happened.
Yesterday, on Wednesday, April 23, a lane was closed during morning traffic.
A large trackhoe broke down in he road at 4 in the morning. The emergency repair service failed to show up. An alternative provider was contacted.
I received an email from Charleston County a little after 7 saying that the lane would be closed until 10 am. I shared that on the Town facebook page and sent out an email alert on Town news.
The equipment was repaired a little after 8 and the lane was opened at 8:25. The construction firm will find a new emergency repair service. Hopefully, this won't happen again.
Thank you to County Councilman Joe Qualey for forwarding an explanation of what happened.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Trent Kernodle Files Class Action Suit Against the Town
The JI Messenger has broken the story--
Trent Kernodle.has filed a class action suit against the Town of James Island.
David Engelman, Sandi Engelman, and Rod Welch have signed onto the complaint. David Engelman is a former Chairman of the JIPSD and was a candidate for Town Council in 2010. Sandi Engelman was a candidate for JIPSD Commissioner in 2014 and Town Council in 2012. Rod Welch is a former JIPSD Commissioner. Trent Kernodle is the former general counsel for the JIPSD and candidate for Mayor of the Town of James Island in 2014.
The suit seeks to force the Town to adopt the plan Trent Kernodle advocated during his unsuccessful campaign for Mayor. As he said in the debate, "Mail the checks. Getting a check from the Town is just like Christmas."
The voters of the Town rejected his campaign by a two to one margin, but he and his political backers are trying to use a court to overrule the Town's voters.
Specifically, Kernodle is asking a judge to force the Town to provide payments to all property owners in the Town of James Island for each of the three years the Town has been in existence along with interest. The funds in question are those the Town received from the Local Option Sales Tax Property Tax Credit Fund. Through March, the Town has received $1,982,736.
They ask for pre-judgment interest on the funds, which is 8.5%. This is much higher than what anyone can actually earn and substantially more than what the Town has earned--.2%. (2 tenths of one percent.) They are trying to get approximately $250,000 more out of the taxpayers pocket as compared to the $700 the Town has actually earned in interest.
He is also asking the court to force the Town to pay him and two other lawyers. If Kernodle and his allies win in court, the taxpayers of the Town will be forced to bear heavy administrative costs to mail checks, be gouged by high interest rates, and pay a small fortune to Trent Kernodle and two lawyers from out of Town.
The taxpayers of the Town of James Island have already paid Trent Kernodle's law firm more than a half a million dollars. When will he be satisfied? How much more of the taxpayers money does he need?
I have always worked to provide tax relief to the people of the Town, but mailing checks is inefficient and costly. No other city or town in South Carolina mails property tax refund checks.
Unfortunately, the Town will be forced to mount a defense against Trent Kernodle's legal attack. What he forces us to spend on lawyers will inevitably result in fewer new sidewalks and less police protection and other Town services.
I am confident that the Town will prevail and that we will be able to use the Town's Local Option Sales Tax revenues to provide true tax relief to the people of the Town in an efficient and legally-sound manner.
It is sad that some James Island politicians refuse to accept the voters' verdict and instead seek to overrule the people with wasteful legal wrangling. We faced this same problem three times in the past. The voters' will was finally recognized in 2012 and we now have a Town.
Hopefully, Trent Kernodle and his political allies won't be able drag it out for twenty years.
Trent Kernodle.has filed a class action suit against the Town of James Island.
David Engelman, Sandi Engelman, and Rod Welch have signed onto the complaint. David Engelman is a former Chairman of the JIPSD and was a candidate for Town Council in 2010. Sandi Engelman was a candidate for JIPSD Commissioner in 2014 and Town Council in 2012. Rod Welch is a former JIPSD Commissioner. Trent Kernodle is the former general counsel for the JIPSD and candidate for Mayor of the Town of James Island in 2014.
The suit seeks to force the Town to adopt the plan Trent Kernodle advocated during his unsuccessful campaign for Mayor. As he said in the debate, "Mail the checks. Getting a check from the Town is just like Christmas."
The voters of the Town rejected his campaign by a two to one margin, but he and his political backers are trying to use a court to overrule the Town's voters.
Specifically, Kernodle is asking a judge to force the Town to provide payments to all property owners in the Town of James Island for each of the three years the Town has been in existence along with interest. The funds in question are those the Town received from the Local Option Sales Tax Property Tax Credit Fund. Through March, the Town has received $1,982,736.
They ask for pre-judgment interest on the funds, which is 8.5%. This is much higher than what anyone can actually earn and substantially more than what the Town has earned--.2%. (2 tenths of one percent.) They are trying to get approximately $250,000 more out of the taxpayers pocket as compared to the $700 the Town has actually earned in interest.
He is also asking the court to force the Town to pay him and two other lawyers. If Kernodle and his allies win in court, the taxpayers of the Town will be forced to bear heavy administrative costs to mail checks, be gouged by high interest rates, and pay a small fortune to Trent Kernodle and two lawyers from out of Town.
The taxpayers of the Town of James Island have already paid Trent Kernodle's law firm more than a half a million dollars. When will he be satisfied? How much more of the taxpayers money does he need?
I have always worked to provide tax relief to the people of the Town, but mailing checks is inefficient and costly. No other city or town in South Carolina mails property tax refund checks.
Unfortunately, the Town will be forced to mount a defense against Trent Kernodle's legal attack. What he forces us to spend on lawyers will inevitably result in fewer new sidewalks and less police protection and other Town services.
I am confident that the Town will prevail and that we will be able to use the Town's Local Option Sales Tax revenues to provide true tax relief to the people of the Town in an efficient and legally-sound manner.
It is sad that some James Island politicians refuse to accept the voters' verdict and instead seek to overrule the people with wasteful legal wrangling. We faced this same problem three times in the past. The voters' will was finally recognized in 2012 and we now have a Town.
Hopefully, Trent Kernodle and his political allies won't be able drag it out for twenty years.
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Councilmember Joseph Qualey Requesting Delay for Council’s Voting on James Island Library Location
MEDIA CONTACT
Shawn R. Smetana, Public Information Officer
Phone: (843) 958-4007/Fax: (843) 958-4004
Councilmember Joseph Qualey Requesting Delay for Council’s Voting on James Island Library Location
Charleston County Councilmember Joseph Qualey, of District 9, will ask County Council during the Finance Committee, Thursday, April 16, to delay its scheduled vote on the location of the new James Island Library. The item is currently on the Finance Committee agenda.
Find agenda packet for Thursday’s Finance Committee here.
Charleston County is hosting a public forum on the James Island library locations at 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 16. Councilmember Qualey is requesting the delay in order provide citizens of James Island with another opportunity to provide input on the potential library sites.
“I would like to see at least one more public forum held at the James Island Town Hall at a time more convenient to those interested,” said Councilmember Qualey.
Wednesday, April 8, 2015
Public Forum on Location of James Island Library
NOTICE OF PUBLIC FORUM
Notice is hereby given that Charleston County Council will hold a public forum on Thursday, April 16, 2015, at 4:30 o’clock p.m., in the Beverly T. Craven Council Chambers, Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building, 4045 Bridge View Drive, North Charleston, SC for the purpose of gathering input from the public regarding the following three potential library locations on James Island:
1. The current site located at 1248 Camp Road.
2. The vacant building near Bi-Lo site located at 848/850 Folly Road.
3. The former Baxter Patrick Elementary School property located at 1858 South Grimball Road.
A presentation will be made by County staff regarding the three potential sites prior to the public comment period.
Public comments, written and oral, are invited.
Beverly T. Craven
Clerk of Council
Friday, April 3, 2015
Public Hearing for 2015-16 Budget Rescheduled
We had scheduled the public hearing for the 2015-16 budget for the regular Town Council meeting on April 16. Unfortunately, the JI Messenger forgot to print our advertisement for the public hearing in this week's issue. South Carolina law requires that we put an ad in a newspaper at least 15 days before our public hearing. When the JI Messenger came out, dated April 2 and didn't include the advertisement for our public hearing, there was no option but to postpone. The new owner of the JI Messenger called me and apologized for their error. Unfortunately, South Carolina law is not flexible. So, the public hearing and first reading on the 2015-16 budget will be on May 21. Second and final reading is now rescheduled for June 18. Here is the ad. Here is the proposed budget for 2015-16.
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