Spartanburg City Council received an overview of Staff’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2018-2019 at a recent meeting.
Revenue is projected to grow four percent, driven largely by growth in the business licenses, building permits, and the City’s Hospitality Tax. In his presentation to Council, Assistant City Manager Chris Story said that growth in the downtown area and strong business growth citywide are driving growth in those sectors, though property taxes, which grew only two percent, have been slower to see the same effect from the city’s strong economy.
On the expenditure side, the proposed budget includes funding for the new T.K. Gregg Community Center, a three percent pay increase for City employees, $212,000 for 800 MHz radios for the City Police Department to better ensure seamless cross-agency communication, and funding for a new work crew to help reduce litter throughout the city. No tax or fee increases were included as part of the budget. Council will hold a first reading for the budget at its next meeting on May 29, with final approval scheduled for June 11. Follow this link to download the full proposed 2018-2019 budget.
For more from Monday’s City Council meeting, see the full video and roundup of the live tweets below.
(Prepared by the City of Spartanburg.)