Why the Town Needs the JIPSD

After a 13% property tax hike, some residents may ask why does James Island need the James Island Public Service District.

For the nearly 20 years that I have been involved in James Island politics, outsiders (and newcomers) have been puzzled by the fact that the Town of James Island has never provided fire protection or solid waste collection.   They ask, why is there an independent JIPSD?  I have always said, it might be a little unusual, but it is our James Island way. There is no need for us to change our organization of governmental services just because that is the way they do it in the City of Charleston. (or up North!)

There are several reasons why the Town needs the JIPSD.

First, there is no practical way for the Town to fund the provision of services to its former residents in the unincorporated area of James Island.  The Town cannot levy a property tax in the unincorporated area.  Our other revenues depend on the Town's population or are raised in the Town's jurisdiction.  As a result it is not practical or reasonable for the Town to provide expensive services to the unincorporated area.   That is job of the JIPSD.   

Second, the Town is not currently authorized to provide wastewater transportation (sewer.)   To do so, we would need to pass a referendum and set up an enterprise fund similar to the Charleston Water System.  In other words, we would need to set up something that looks a good bit like the JIPSD.   While possible, I don't think that makes much sense.  We already have the JIPSD to provide sewer service in our community.

Third, the Town is authorized under state law to provide fire protection and solid waste collection.   Having the Town set up a third fire department on James Island or a third solid waste collection service is possible, but it is a recipe for replacing our current wasteful duplication of services with triplication.   Who would want that?. 

Fourth, if the Town were to manage and fund both its own fire department and solid waste collection, it could use its various existing sources of revenue but it would be necessary to increase our property tax levy.  Like in most municipalities, the tax credit on the bill would be less than the amount owed and residents would pay property tax to the Town for the first time.   A benefit of that approach would be that the property taxes paid to the Town would likely be less than what is currently paid to the JIPSD.   However, it also would likely be necessary for the Town to leave the JIPSD.  Given the current makeup of the JIPSD Commission, that could only happen after a protracted and expensive legal battle.  Further, it is almost certain that they would seek to compel the Town to continue to pay the JIPSD for fire protection for decades and for solid waste collection for many years. If the Town leaves the JIPSD, then Town voters would no longer have any say in choosing JIPSD Commissioners.   If court action by the JIPSD were successful, then the Town would have to pay for our services twice--once to the JIPSD under court order and another time to actually pay for the services.   Further, we would pay whatever a JIPSD Commission on which we have no representation wants to charge. It is very likely that this would be much more expensive than what the JIPSD is charging us now, even after a 13% increase.  I find this scenario entirely unacceptable.   

Fifth, the Town could set up a fire department and solid waste collection service and provide those services to the JIPSD by contract.  The JIPSD could continue to collect property tax in the unincorporated area and pay the Town for services provided to the former residents of the Town.  Having the Town set up a new fire department and a new solid waste service while the JIPSD closes down its current fire department and solid waste service would be foolish.  Most Town residents are happy with our fire department and our solid waste collection.  Who is interested in disrupting the fine work done by our fire fighters and sanitation workers? I certainly am not. Therefore, any such plan would only be sensible if the JIPSD were willing to transfer its fire protection and solid waste operations to the Town. That will never happen with the current leadership of the JIPSD.   More importantly, in my view, it would be unfair and unreasonable because our former residents in what is now the unincorporated area would not be able to vote for Mayor and Council, and so would have no representation regarding the provision of key services.

Sixth, the JIPSD collects approximately $1 million from the City of Charleston and $100,000 from the City of Folly Beach for it general fund each year.  The total amount paid by those Cities will increase by about $250,000 per year with the JIPSD tax hike, with most of the increase going into the PSD debt fund.  This is significant sum for the JIPSD.   By comparison, the JIPSD will be obtaining about $4 million in property tax from the Town's tax district and $2.5 million from the unincorporated area.   This money paid by the two Cities is not based on any voluntary agreement but rather a court order that forces them to pay the amount that the JIPSD would have collected in property tax in certain areas those Cities annexed on James Island. This is because the JIPSD borrowed from the federal government, and the federal government makes those Cities contribute until all of the federal loans are paid back. For the most part, the JIPSD collects money based upon the taxes it would have collected in the annexed area to fund its fire service.  If the JIPSD were to transfer its fire department to the Town, it is very likely that the cities of Charleston and Folly Beach would petition the federal courts to allow them to stop making these payments and I believe it is doubtful that the Town could obtain subsidies from its neighboring municipalities.   Absent those subsidies, the net cost of fire service would be higher for those of us remaining outside of the City of Charleston and Folly Beach. This would partly (and maybe fully) offset the benefit of the Town's ability to use other sources of revenue to pay for fire protection.   

Some, but not all, of the reasons above only apply if there remain unincorporated areas on James Island.   The unincorporated areas on James Island can shrink and even disappear though annexation by the City of Charleston, the City of Folly Beach, or the Town of James Island.   Since all of the unincorporated areas of James Island were in the Town at one time or other, I think of our efforts at annexation as "reuniting the Town."  If the Town's efforts were successful (or if the City of Charleston or Folly Beach were to annex all of the former areas of the Town,) then many of the reasons why the JIPSD is necessary would disappear.  It might be that some associated with the JIPSD do no more than pay lip service to allowing the Town's former residents an opportunity to vote to return because they see leaving residents in the unincorporated area as insurance for the continued independence of the JIPSD.

If the unincorporated area were to disappear one way or another, ideally, by having the Town reunited, this would simply mean that the boundaries of the Town and the JIPSD would be the same.  The JIPSD would still remain independent, collect property taxes and provide fire collection and solid waste services, as well as collect sewer bills and provide wastewater transportation.    The Town would continue to provide code enforcement, do building inspections, fund the Island Sheriff's Patrol, pave roads and build sidewalks, improve drainage, provide street lighting, and do planning and zoning, but now in what we hope would be an expanded area that includes all parts of James Island that have not already been annexed into the City of Charleston or the City of Folly Beach.  

While shifting some services such as solid waste collection or fire protection to Town management would become more feasible if the unincorporated area disappeared, that doesn't mean it would be desirable.   In my view, the only  way to do so without a costly legal battle would be for the voters of the JIPSD (which would then be the same as the voters of the Town) to elect PSD Commissioners who agreed with a new approach to organizing services on James Island.  However, in my opinion, if we elected JIPSD Commissioners who were willing to work with the Town, then why would we need to make these sort of changes?  Why not continue with our traditional James Island way?

Aside from an apparent lack of support by the JIPSD for our efforts to reunite the Town, the second problem is their refusal to accept the Town's financial help.   While JIPSD property taxes are currently lower than in the City of Charleston, the millage is higher than for the Town of Mount Pleasant or the City of Folly Beach. Worse, the JIPSD's long run fiscal plan shows another 12% increase in property tax within five years.   (While shown on the JIPSD's budget, those increases are not legally binding and will only be levied if approved by the Commissioners in the future.)

If the Town and the JIPSD had the same boundaries, it would be a relatively simple matter for the JIPSD to lower its property millage and sell the Town services on our residents' behalf.    It is almost certain that the JIPSD wants to collect property tax for fire protection so that they can maximize the amount of revenue they can obtain from the Cities of Charleston and Folly Beach.  However, the Town's proposal for a tax credit on the County tax bill against JIPSD property tax would not interfere with the JIPSD's millage at all and it could also be applied to Town residents immediately while we continue to seek to reunify the Town and so provide tax relief along with other Town services to our former residents in the unincorporated area.

And now you know why four of the JIPSD Commissioners signed a letter filled with hate and abuse in response to the Town's offer of help.  They cannot imagine that I would consider all of these possibilities if I didn't have a secret plan to take over the JIPSD.

There is no such plan.   I just think that a responsible leader needs to understand the alternatives. 

If the Town were reunited and we could use the Town's other sources of revenue to reduce the JIPSD property tax burden, then I would be more than satisfied.   Future Mayors and Councils and Commissions can deal with the long run organization of service delivery on James Island.   However, it is my belief and desire that any proposal for change be fully transparent and that candidates supporting such changes openly advocate them when running for Mayor, Council, or Commission, so that the voters of James Island have the final say.

As I have said before, should the Town and JIPSD be joined?  Perhaps.  But it is up to the people of James Island.

13% JIPSD Tax Hike on October Tax Bills

The James Island Public Service District Commission passed a 13% increase in their property tax by 4 to 2.

Voting in favor were Commissioners Donald Hollingsworth, Kay Kernodle, Cubby Wilder, and Sandi Engelman.   Voting against were Commissioners Inez Brown Crouch and Kathy Woolsey.

The tax increase will appear on the bills of property owners in the Town of James Island and also the unincorporated area of James Island coming out in October.   The amount to be paid to the PSD will rise 13% and the share of the total property tax bill going to the PSD will rise from approximately 48% to 54%.

Commissioner Kathy Woolsey moved to amend the budget to remove the increase in the debt millage.   She explained that most government bodies levy the bond millage after they have sold the bonds to start generating revenue before the first interest payments come due.   She pointed out that the Commissioners don't know the cost of the new fire station and so the amount that will be borrowed and the needed millage.   Her amendment would result in the debt millage appearing on the 2020 property tax bill rather than the 2019 bill coming out this October.  However, she said that the Commissioners could take actions in the meantime to find other sources of revenue to partially pay for the fire station, reduce the amount to be borrowed, and so the debt millage in 2020 and future years.   Commissioner Brown Crouch seconded. 

The amendment was voted down 4 to 2.  Hollingsworth, Kernodle, Wilder, and Engelman all voted no without discussion.  Woolsey and Brown Crouch voted to approve.

The second and final vote on the budget with the 13% property tax increase was 4 to 2.   Commissioner Brown Crouch shared arguments against the tax increase, focusing on the hardship for those with low and fixed incomes.    Hollingsworth, Kernodle, Wilder, and Engelman all voted in favor of the tax hike without discussion.

The four items placed on the agenda by Commissioner Woolsey to reduce or offset the tax hike were all tabled as a group.   In making the motion to table, Commissioner Hollingsworth stated that the items "had been discussed."   None were discussed at the meeting, but perhaps he was referencing some private meeting for some of the Commissioners.   Commissioners Hollingsworth, Kernodle, Wilder, and Engelman voted to table without further discussion.   Commissioners Woolsey and Brown Crouch  voted against. 

At the public hearing, only one resident spoke in favor of the tax hike and 18 residents spoke against.   The mood of the crowd of nearly 70 was against the tax hike.  Those speaking out against the tax increase were frequently greeted with applause.   Some noted that many of the Commissioners will be up for election in November.

Those voting for the tax increase that are up for election are Commissioners Hollingsworth, Kernodle, and Wilder.

The elections for next year's officers were by secret ballot.   Engleman received 3 votes for Chair, Kathy Woolsey received 2, and Donald Hollingsworth a single write-in.    Hollingsworth received 4 votes for Vice-chair and Woolsey received 2.   Wilder received 4 votes for Secretary and Woolsey received 2.

Commissioner Kathy Woolsey challenged Kay Kernodle's proxy vote for the tax increase at the previous meeting, providing opinions from the Attorney General's Office that proxy votes are illegal.  When she asked who approved the proxy, no answer was given.   Commissioner Platt had prepared a proxy for this meeting, but it was not used.  The parliamentarian hired by the PSD said that in the South Carolina Senate it was possible to vote in absentia if the vote is not decisive.   It is not clear what this had to do with the PSD, except that the budget would have passed 3 to 2 on first reading without Kernodle's vote in favor.

The PSD Tax Hike and Unincorporated James Island

The James Island Public Service District includes the Town and the unincorporated area of James Island.   The majority of the voters in the District live in the Town.   PSD property taxes are paid by property owners in the Town and the unincorporated area. 

PSD property taxes appear on the tax bill of every property owner in the Town of James Island and all voters residing in the Town of James Island are eligible to vote for PSD Commissioner.

No PSD property tax appears on the tax bill of any property owner in the City of Charleston or Folly Beach, even if they live on James Island.   No voter residing in the City of Charleston or Folly Beach is eligible to vote for PSD Commissioner, even if they live on James Island.

The proposed 13% tax hike will directly impact everyone in the Town and the unincorporated area of the PSD.   The 13% tax increase means that payments to the PSD on the County tax bill coming this October will be 13% higher than the amount that had to be paid to the PSD on last October's bill.   The more valuable your house, car or other taxable property, the more it will be.

Nearly all of what is now unincorporated James Island was in the Town of James Island in 2011.   (A handful of homes around Houghton Avenue were the only unincorporated area on James Island between 2006 and 2011.)     I care very much about the property tax burden for those in the unincorporated area.    I would like to help them too, but for that to happen, they need to rejoin the Town.

There have been seven attempts to form a Town on James Island in the modern era.   The final four were successful in forming a Town, but the City of Charleston sued the first three times and used the Court system to close the Town down.   The seventh effort was fully successful and the time limit for filing a legal challenge passed years ago.   The Town of James Island is here to stay.   But to avoid a legal challenge by the City of Charleston, Free James Island incorporated an area based on a philosophy of "when in doubt, leave it out."   While the majority of those who were in the Town in 2011 were able to vote to reform the Town in 2012, many had to be left out.  I promised then that I would do my best to give them a chance to vote too.

The formation of a new Town is called incorporation and the addition of people to an existing Town is called annexation.   Both require contiguity.   A new municipality must be formed in areas that are contiguous.   A municipality can annex additional properties or areas that are contiguous.   The simple meaning of contiguous is "next to."

Because of the pattern of annexation by the City of Charleston on James Island, none of the remaining unincorporated area on James Island is next to the Town.   It is separated from the Town by areas that have already been annexed by the City of Charleston.

In 2014, Representative McCoy and Senator Thurmond filed legislation that would have allowed voters in the unincorporated area of the District to vote to rejoin the Town.   That legislation required that the PSD Commissioners agree to a referendum.    Representative McCoy got the bill passed in the House.  Senator Thurmond shepherded the bill through the Senate Judiciary Committee.   But the Coastal Conservation League had Senator Kimpson and then Senator Pinckney put a hold on the bill, blocking consideration by the whole Senate.   Thanks to the effort of PSD Commissioner Inez Brown-Crouch and many friends of the Town in the Sol Legare, Battery Island, and Grimball Communities, both of those Senators eventually relented.  However, the Coastal Conservation League had stymied our efforts to allow an opportunity for our former residents to vote on whether to rejoin the Town.

In 2017, Representative McCoy, working with Town Councilman Josh Stokes, tried a different approach.   House Bill 3669 clarifies contiguity to allow a municipality entirely within a PSD to annex a parcel or area within the same PSD across breaks in the contiguity of the PSD.   The Town is entirely within the James Island PSD and all of the unincorporated area of James Island would be contiguous to the Town given this clarification.   To reunite the Town, it would require that 25% of the registered voters in the unincorporated area of the PSD sign a petition.  There would then be an election and if the majority of those voting favored returning to the Town, then the Town would be reunited.   This bill would require no action by the PSD Commissioners.

Speaker of the House Lucas told me he supports our effort.   Unfortunately, the Senate has become even more difficult.  Senator Thurmond moved to Mount Pleasant and didn't run for reelection.   He was replaced by Senator Senn.   Senator Senn wrote me last year stating that she would support the Town's effort at reunification only if Robert Wise agreed.  Who is Robert Wise?  He is the District Administrator of the PSD.   While I am not sure why Senator Senn places so much weight on the opinion of the PSD District Administrator or why he does not want to see the Town reunited, I believe that if the PSD Commissioners were willing to support allowing the people of  unincorporated James Island an opportunity to rejoin the Town, then Robert Wise would give Senator Senn the OK to file companion legislation.    While passage in the Senate would still be difficult, right now, the PSD is the key road block.

Why this important now?

If those in the unincorporated area of James Island could rejoin the Town, then they too could benefit from the ability of the Town to obtain revenue from many sources other than property tax.   The proposal of the Town to allow for a property tax credit against PSD taxes could be available to everyone who lives in the PSD.

PSD Commissioner Kathy Woolsey has placed this matter on the agenda for the June 25th meeting.   Please come to the public hearing at 5:30 and ask that the PSD Commissioners work with the Town to benefit all the people of James Island.

PSD Public Hearing on Monday

The James Island Public Service District Commissioners (PSD) will hold a public hearing on their proposed 13% property tax hike next Monday, June 25 at 5:30 PM at 1739 Signal Point Road.

I plan to be there.  You should come too.

The Mayor and Council of the Town have no say in the property taxes the PSD imposes in the Town, but our voters do.  These taxes are set by the PSD Commissioners who are elected by the voters of the PSD and the majority of PSD voters live in the Town.

The PSD funds fire protection and solid waste collection by property tax.   All residents of the Town and those in the unincorporated area of James Island pay PSD property taxes.   PSD property tax made up 47.4% of a homeowner's property tax bill last year.   While JIPSD property taxes are lower than those in the City of Charleston, they are higher than those on Folly Beach or Mount Pleasant.

Fire protection is a vitally important service for the people of the Town and solid waste collection is very important too. 

I understand that the PSD needs revenue to provide services.

Approximately 25% of the proposed tax increase is to fund the pay increases the PSD adopted a few months ago.  The reason for the pay increases was a compensation study that showed that starting pay and the raises previously provided to junior employees were too low for retention.   New fire fighters and other PSD workers would start at the PSD and then move on to area municipalities that pay more. The study showed that senior employees were modestly overpaid on average.

Most of the tax increase, approximately 75%, is to build a new fire station on Folly Road.   The PSD sued Charleston County claiming that the new Camp and Folly improvement project ruined the fire station on Camp Road.   Part of our 1/2 cent transportation sales tax money went to the PSD, and they have to spend that money on a new fire station, but what they got from Charleston County is not nearly enough. The PSD plans to borrow the rest, so most of the tax increase is going to be used to gradually pay back the loan along with interest. Regardless, the Camp Road fire station is very old and must be replaced eventually.

These proposed expenditures meet real needs for our community.  But I believe a 13% increase in PSD property tax is just too much.

The problem is that the PSD is too dependent on property tax.  South Carolina law only gives public service districts very limited sources of revenue and property tax is what they have available for fire protection and solid waste collection.  Municipalities, on the other hand, have much broader powers and many sources of revenue.

I believe that the solution to the PSD's funding problem is for the Town to help.

The Town levied a 20 mil property tax in 2015, but we provide a 100% property tax credit so that the share of the total property tax bill paid to the Town is zero.

Wouldn't it be great if the taxpayers could get a credit for their PSD taxes too?

The Town engaged the Pope Flynn law firm to come up with a solution.   They provide legal services to public service districts and towns and cities across South Carolina.   Their solution was for the Town to directly pay the PSD for some or all of the cost of solid waste collection for the residents of the Town. The same principle could apply to fire protection.  In exchange, the PSD would agree to allow the Town to put a credit against PSD taxes on the County tax bill.   This would reduce the total property tax bill for everyone in the Town.   The PSD would get the same amount of money, but they would collect less from Town property taxpayers and instead receive money directly from the Town.   The Town has many existing sources of revenue we could use for this purpose--business licenses, sales tax, state aid to political subdivisions and franchise fees are all examples.

If the PSD is willing to work with the Town, then like in most towns and cities in South Carolina, part of the cost of fire protection and solid waste collection would be paid by property tax and part by other sources of revenue.

I wrote the Chairman of the Public Service District, Cubby Wilder, and offered the Town's help.   I believe that the Town could come up with as much as $1 million per year to provide tax relief to those in the Town.   This would turn a 13% property tax increase into a 21% property tax cut for homeowners in the Town!

For an average $250,000 home, the PSD collected $569 in property tax last year.   The PSD proposed tax increase would raise that by 13% to $644.    If the PSD would accept the Town's offer of help, after the credit, the tax paid to the PSD would fall to approximately $450.   Instead of the share of a homeowners tax bill going to the PSD rising to more than half (54%) it would fall to 37%!  (These figures do not take into account tax increases that may be imposed by other government agencies.   Regardless, the Town's share of the property tax bill will remain zero.)

PSD Commissioner Kathy Woolsey has asked that pursuit of an intergovernmental agreement between the Town and the PSD be  placed on the agenda for the June 25 meeting. 

Please come to the PSD public hearing and ask that the Commissioners accept the Town's offer of help so that they can fund their very important services while avoiding an excessively burdensome tax hike.

There He Goes Again -- Brian Hicks on James Island

Brian Hicks rarely gives James Island his attention, but when he does, his stories are mostly fiction.  This time he went so far as to lard up his prose with snippets from Shakespeare.   Plainly he longs for the days of yore, when the previous Mayor of the Town devoted so much time hurling colorful insults at the previous Mayor of the City--with occasional barbs shot back.   In the Hick's fantasy world, nothing has changed.

The Post and Courier never bothers to send reporters to the meetings of the James Island Intergovernmental Council, where Mayor Tecklenburg and I work together to solve Island problems.   I had to chuckle when he claimed that a lack of cooperation is the source of drainage problems on James Island.   Really?   Is there a Town of West Ashley?  Why then the flooding disasters in Shadowmoss?   The City is solely responsible for the peninsula.  Have downtown flooding problems disappeared?    Drainage is a problem because of  Lowcountry geography.   I feel lucky that the worst problems have been outside the Town.  Still, I am committed to improving drainage on James Island and the Town has budgeted over $200,000 for drainage projects next year.  Every month staff from SCDOT, the Town, the County, and the City meet to coordinate stormwater operations on the Island.  Soon we will be announcing an Island-wide drainage study, paid for by the Town, County, and City. 

Admittedly, the James Island Public Service District is sometimes  out of step with the new spirit of intergovernmental cooperation.   The key problem with their finances is that property tax is their sole source of revenue for fire protection and solid waste collection.   Municipalities are authorized to levy property tax, but they have many other sources of revenue.  The solution is for the PSD to allow the Town to help.   The Town can use its other sources of revenue to purchase services from the PSD on behalf of its residents in exchange for property tax relief.  I hope the PSD Commissioners will finally agree to work with the Town rather than continuing their policy of an ever increasing property tax burden.

Unfortunately, many of residents of the PSD remain in the unincorporated area.  They still must pay for their services entirely by property tax.  We in the Town would be happy to have them back, but under current annexation law, they have no opportunity to vote to rejoin the Town.   Representative Peter McCoy filed HB 3669 to solve that problem.   It is my understanding that progress in the South Carolina Senate is being held up because a majority of PSD Commissioners don't want to give their voters a choice.

Commissioners Wilder, Hollingsworth, Kernodle, and Brown Crouch are all up for election in November.   I am sure Island voters will want to know where they stand.

The notion that the Town is too small to efficiently operate is a bit of a reach.  Of the 16 municipalities in Charleston County, 12 are smaller.   Of the 271 municipalities in South Carolina, 238 are smaller.  Is bigger always more efficient and better?   That must be why taxes are so low and services so efficient in Chicago and New York City.  While growth might bring more revenue, costs can skyrocket when it comes time to actually deliver services.   I think the City of Charleston is finally learning that lesson.

The Town provides code enforcement, building inspections, funds our Island Sheriff Patrol, paves roads, builds sidewalks, provides parks and has its own planning director, planning commission and board of zoning appeals.  These last are very important.   In the areas of James Island annexed by the City, zoning and planning decisions are made by commissions, boards and a council which have very few members from James Island.   The City is poised to amend the Folly Road Overlay to allow for a large multi-family development on Folly Road over the objections of the one member of City Council from James Island.  That could never happen in the Town.

Would it be better if the Town and the PSD were joined?  Perhaps.   But that is a decision for the people of James Island.   As long as James Islanders work together, we will do just fine.

Proposed Expansion of Island Sheriff Patrol

I plan to ask Town Council to expand the Island Sheriff Patrol by 50%, from approximately $200,000 per year to $300,000 per year.    That should increase the Town's contribution to James Island law enforcement to the equivalent of four full-time officers. 

Law enforcement in the Town, like the unincorporated area of James Island, is the responsibility of the Charleston County Sheriff's Office.   The Island Sheriff Patrol is aimed at providing additional law enforcement in areas under the jurisdiction of the Town.

Late Sunday night, a man was murdered on Greenhill Road.  An Island Sheriff Patrol officer, responding to the report of gunfire, found the body.    Monday night, shots were fired at a house on Greenhill and a resident inside was wounded.

At the request of our coordinator, Sergeant Shawn James, the Town had stepped up late night patrols a few weeks ago.   This involved a shift from daytime traffic enforcement as well as adding additional officers.   (Our coordinator and all Island Sheriff Patrol Officers are Sheriff Deputies.) 

A few days before the murder, there was a report of two men exchanging gunfire with another man on Greenhill Road.   Shortly before that, a man received a gun wound in his shoulder.   While he said he was shot while driving on Fort Johnson Road, informants in the community say that he was shot on Greenhill Road while running away.

The stepped up patrols have included other area neighborhoods.   This is because of an increase in burglaries in the early morning hours.   We have had problems before, though usually when no one is home, frequently during the day.   A repeat offender from James Island who had usually followed that pattern was recently sentenced to 20 years in prison.   This new pattern involves breaking in where it is quite apparent people are at home sleeping.   Be sure to lock your doors, including those opening to screen porches or garages.  Also make sure your windows lock. 

We continue to have problems with criminals stealing valuables from cars late at night.  A car was stolen recently.  (The keys were left in the car.)   In response to this longstanding problem, the James Island Neighborhood Council along with the Island Sheriff's Patrol designed a sign warning residents to remove their keys and valuables and to lock the doors.   The usual pattern is that the criminals go down the street, checking each car to see if it is locked.   They pass by the locked cars and rummage through the unlocked cars.   We get reports of guns, cell phones, and laptops being stolen.  Let's not make it easy on the thieves.     Take the keys, remove the valuables, and lock the car.

The Neighborhood Council promotes crime watch activity in the Town.   Is your neighborhood represented?   Do you need help organizing crime watch?   Contact Neighborhood Council Chairman Zennie Quinn for more information at quinn3990@bellsouth.net.

13% Property Tax Hike Approved by James Island Public Service District

The James Island Public Service District Commission voted to increase property taxes by 13 percent on first reading at its May meeting.    A public hearing hearing on the tax hike and second and final reading are scheduled for June 25th at the JIPSD offices at 1739 Signal Point Road.   The time of the public hearing is 5:30 PM and the meeting where the Commissioners are set to give final approval to higher taxes starts at 6:00 PM.

This property tax hike will apply in both the Town and the unincorporated area of James Island.    With nearly half of the typical homeowner's property tax bill going to the JIPSD, this will be a significant burden for many residents.

Voting in favor were Chairman Cubby Wilder and Commissioners Kay Kernodle, Donald Hollingsworth, and Eugene Platt.  Voting against were Commissioners Kathy Woolsey and Inez Brown-Crouch.   Vice-Chair Sandi Engelman abstained.   In a highly unusual move, Commissioner Kernodle was absent, but voted in favor of the tax hike by proxy.

The current JIPSD millage is 53.1 operating and 3.8 debt for a total of 56.9 mils.   The proposal for next year is 55.1 operating and 9.3 debt for a total of 64.4 mils.    The increase in total millage is 7.5 mils which is 13% of 56.9.    This is a 13% increase in the JIPSD tax charges on next years' property tax bill. 

The Mayor and Council of the Town of James Island have no say regarding increases in the property tax the JIPSD collects from Town taxpayers.   It is totally up to the Commissioners, who are elected by the voters of the District.   The majority of those voters reside in the Town, but many are in the unincorporated area.   Commissioners Wilder, Kernodle, Hollingsworth and Brown-Crouch are up for election this November.

 All government bodies must hold a public hearing on their budget, but the JIPSD does not follow the common practice of holding the public hearing before first reading.   They instead hold their public hearing before their second and final reading which is on June 25th. 

https://www.jipsd.org/commission-meetings/

If no one shows up, the majority of Commissioners will get the message that taxpayers of James Island just don't care and they can hike taxes however they want.

Here is contact information for the Commissioners:   https://www.jipsd.org/commission/