Should Riverland Terrace join the City of Charleston? Some may think that it is the answer to the periodic tree trimming that the neighborhood has suffered through the years. As part of its franchise agreement with the City of Charleston, Dominion (formerly SCE&G) keeps funds available for nonstandard power service, including burying power lines.
The Town also has a franchise agreement with Dominion and is looking into burying some power lines on James Island--on Folly Road between Ellis Creek and Eugene Gibbs Drive (near Chick-Fil-A.) It is part of the ReThink Folly Road project which will require moving some power lines to construct the planned sidewalk. The estimated cost was $60,000 per pole, with half of the cost coming from the Town's nonstandard service fund with Dominion, requiring that the Town come up with an additional $30,000 per pole. (Because the cost of moving the poles, which is $10,000, will be covered as part of the overall project expense, the Town needs approximately $20,000 extra per pole.) We also discovered that not only must the property owners provide an easement to place boxes, there will also be a cost to connecting to the service--from $10,000 to $15,000 depending on the age of the building. Mount Pleasant took years to finally get underground service along Coleman Boulevard. The total cost for this one segment on the west side of Folly Road was more than $1 million with likely delays of several years if all of the lines must be buried. At best we can afford to do part. I think it is likely that most of the poles will be moved rather than buried though we hope that some portion of the lines in the area will be placed underground soon. We will be reviewing our Town's development standards so that as Folly Road businesses are redeveloped over the years, putting the power lines under ground will be required as part of redevelopment.
Will the City of Charleston consider newly annexed houses in Riverland Terrace the priority over the entire City of Charleston for using monies from their nonstandard service fund with Dominion? And that is just 50% of the cost. Will City Council expend money from its general fund for the match? Maybe, but there are plenty of neighborhoods in the City that are likely to feel that their power lines should go underground first, if that is the new policy.
This year the JIPSD increased its property tax in the the Town and unincorporated area by 13%. While the total millage in the unincorporated area is still lower than in the City of Charleston, the City's LOST property tax credit brings down the tax bill for a homeowner so that it is 3% less than what is paid by those in the JIPSD. But that is just this year. Charleston City Council has increased its property tax millage so that next year, homeowners in the City will be back to paying more property tax than those in the unincorporated area and in the Town.
Further, just last November, the voters of the Town and unincorporated area, including Riverland Terrace, voted in three new JIPSD Commissioners. I think it is very likely that there will be some roll back of the JIPSD millage increase. Further, the new majority on the Commission is working on an agreement with the Town to provide a credit against JIPSD property tax. I am confident that this will be complete by the time next year's tax bills come out in October. As a result, while the total millage in the Town will only be slightly lower than in the City of Charleston, after the Town credits are applied, a homeowner will pay 31% less in the Town than in the City of Charleston! (The Town provides a 100% credit against its own property tax millage.)
What good does that do for those in Riverland Terrance? Everyone in the unincorporated area of Riverland Terrace was in the Town in 2011. We want you back. And the Town has been pursuing legislation in Columbia that will make that possible. HB 3661 passed the House Judiciary Committee unanimously. It is now going to the Senate Judiciary Committee. Representative McCoy is confident it will pass the full House. To become law, it must also pass the South Carolina Senate and be signed by the Governor. After that, the process to return the unincorporated area of James Island, including Riverland Terrace, to the Town of James Island can begin.
If Riverland Terrace rejoins the Town, homeowners will be able to receive Town tax credits and so have substantially lower property taxes. More importantly, you only have to look across Maybank Highway to see how the City has seen development on James Island. The only City Councilwoman who lives on James Island tried to get a moratorium in areas on James Island prone to flooding. Lost at City Council. In my opinion, the City has improved on development issues recently. Will that last? The Town has never allowed that kind of density. The Town will protect your neighborhood.
The Town has been very successful in leveraging our limited funds to promote projects that improve our quality of life on James Island. Look at where the new sidewalks have come in over the last five years. It is important to have a local government focused on our Island.
Riverland Terrace will play a much more important role as part of our small James Island community than as just one of the hundreds of neighborhoods in the City of Charleston. The City of Charleston has huge sources of revenue, but they also have massive expenses. Just last year, the Town approached the City of Charleston about improved crosswalks on Folly at Camp and also at Eugene Gibbs. They agreed. We paid our $60,000. The City couldn't follow through and come up with their smaller share of the money.
My advice to those in Riverland Terrace and in the rest of the unincorporated area is to be patient. If you annex to the City, then you won't be able to change your mind. Wait a bit, see what develops, and make a decision when you may well have a choice.
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