'We have had some heartburn in the distribution and how it came about. I think we’re happy with the agreement.'
Mayor Rick Danner
Greer City Council, on Tuesday night, approved (3-1) to authorize City Administrator Ed Driggers to enter into discussion with Greenville County on an intergovernmental agreement for recreational funding.
The agreement awards Greer $111,937, or 11.19 percent of $82.6 million taxable assessed value for fiscal year 2016. Greer’s percentage was based on property within Greenville County boundaries.
Only four council members attended the session with Mayor Rick Danner and council members Lee Dumas (motion to approve) and Judy Albert (seconded) approving. Councilman Wryley Bettis voted no. Jay Arrowood, Wayne Griffin and Kimberly Bookert were absent.
“We have had some heartburn in the distribution and how it came about,” Danner said. “I think we’re happy with the agreement.”
Driggers stated each city will have to adopt the agreement individually. Greenville has approved the plan and other cities have it scheduled.
The “Rec Revenue Sharing” plan proposed by Greenville County sets aside revenues generated by a percentage millage rate (Rec Mill or 0.48 mills) out of its annual ad valorem tax levy for recreation. That generated a $1 million pool in 2015 for the municipalities.
“This will give us the ability to capture growth on the assessed value of property,” Danner said. “This is a number that will continue to grow in time.”
The agreement disguises the fact that Greer residents are being taxed without ever having a voice in the process – for the city’s recreational facilities and use plus the additional fee Greenville County also imposed on Greenville, Mauldin and Simpsonville for the newly formed Greenville County Department of Parks and Recreation.
“I call it taxation without representation,” Bettis said. “I have never liked the taste of this from the get-go. We’re only getting 25 percent back (from the tax).”
The Greenville County Recreation Department was dissolved, on a one-vote resolution, in 2013 for the new countywide recreation department inclusive of all cities.
“I blame it on the legislators and the ones who voted for the bill,” Bettis said,
Greenville County levied a 4.6 millage, $27 additional annually, on citizens to pay for the creation of the new controversial recreation department. The tax was not a line item tax.
The message most mayors and city officials emphasized to County Council, at the time, was their disappointment no discussions were held with the municipalities during the legislative process of the intent to create a countywide recreation department.
“I think the initial heartburn was the way it was done and the lack of input on our behalf and don’t think there was any conversation on the front end of this and what it would look like.”
Recreation revenue sharing rate monies for fiscal year 2016 = $1 million
|
|
Local Taxable Assessed |
|
Percent of |
|
Amount to |
|
Greenville |
$426,867,122 |
|
57.78% |
|
$577,843.67 |
|
Greer |
$ 82,690,694 |
|
11.19% |
|
$111,937.53 |
|
Mauldin |
$109,521,151 |
|
14.83% |
|
$148,257.15 |
|
Simpsonville |
$ 77,748,576 |
|
10.52% |
|
$105,247.09 |
|
Fountain Inn |
$ 21,027,008 |
|
2.85% |
|
$ 28,463.95 |
|
Travelers Rest |
$ 20,869,415 |
|
2.83% |
|
$ 28,250.62 |
|
Combined Taxable Assessed Value = |
$738,724,236 |
|
|
|
|
The city of Greer local taxable assessed value includes property lying within Greenville County boundaries and subject to ad valorem tax levies issued by Greenville County.