By Natalie M. Zeigler
City Manager
Springtime is budget-planning time for governmental organizations, and we in the City of Hartsville are pleased that the proposed Fiscal Year 2015-16 budget now under consideration by City Council is one that taxpaying residents and businesses will appreciate. The budget includes no tax increase and no rate increases for water, sewer or sanitation. It allows for City’s services to remain at the same level and for us to continue to planning prudently for future needs and ongoing development as well.
The centerpiece of the budget is the General Fund, covering much of our operations, which is required by state law to be a balanced account. It’s separate from some other funds, such as the proprietary funds for water and sewer as well as sanitation, or the hospitality and accommodations tax funds. There are several revenue sources for the General Fund, with property taxes, business licenses and state taxes being some of the largest and most recognizable.
The proposed General Fund budget for the coming year amounts to $9,199,288. Of that money, approximately 30 percent is allocated for the Hartsville Police Department, 15 percent for the Hartsville Fire Department, 7 percent for Parks & Leisure Services, and 7 percent for Streets and Grounds. The remainder of the fund goes toward a huge variety of purposes – maintenance issues, the operations of other City departments, and insurance, which has been rising. It’s a fairly typical budget, covering our most valuable assets, the City employees which are working for us around the clock. It also covers several current capital needs, including seven new Police Department vehicles and a new brush fire truck for the Fire Department.
It’s worth remembering that the General Fund isn’t the only fund paying for City operations. The reliable water and sewer services provided by the City of Hartsville for more than 4,000 customers has its own enterprise fund. Grant funding, meanwhile, provides for many of our most visible projects. This was the case with a $75,000 state Land & Water Conservation Fund grant for the new playground to be installed soon at Lawton Park, which had a $75,000 match from the City. The upcoming repaving and streetscaping for downtown locations including East Colllege Avenue and its public parking lots, as well as the streetscaping for a portion of South Fourth Street, are coming largely from Multi-County Business Park bonds and reserve funds, and also from S.C. Department of Transportation grants as well as the City’s Parking & Beautification Commission.
The upcoming General Fund budget is the result of much hard work by City Council and staff. The City Council Finance Committee, led by Councilman Bob Braddock, has been carefully reviewing it, and our Finance Director Shannon Morrison has for months been working closely with all departments to make it a reality. It represents a prudent use of taxpayer money, and that is always good news.
Natalie Zeigler is the City Manager of Hartsville. For more information, call City Hall at 843-383-3015 or email info2@hartsvillesc.gov.