Latest / Saluda County Unplugged / County Council Meeting Preview for April 13, 2026
Transcript
- Josh Morton: countdown over here. That's so fun. Alright, whenever you're ready. Welcome back to Saluda County Unplugged shining a light on Saluda County government. In our last episode, we talked about how we can communicate better. Today, we're putting that into action. This episode is all about preparation. We're walking through items we anticipate being on the April 13th County Council agenda. Now, just to be clear, the final agenda has not been released yet. So things could change. We do record this about a week in advance. So Have questions or a topic you'd like to see us cover in a future episode? You can email us at publicinfo at saluda county dot sc dot gov. We'd love to hear from you. And as the great Bob Barker said, help control the pet population. Don't forget to have your pets spayed or neutered. We'll see you next week. Bye. Council is also expected to consider a resolution recognizing April as Fair Housing Month. This resolution is a reminder of the South Carolina Fair Housing Law enacted in 1989, which was designed to prevent discrimination in housing based on race, color, religion, national origin, sex, disability, or family status. Resolutions like this don't create new law or policies at a county level, but they are important because they formally recognize issues and help raise awareness in the community. We also anticipate the first reading of the county budget. Yes. Department heads had to have our budget proposals to the county administrator back in early March and based on the traditional budget schedule, I would anticipate first reading happening here in the April meeting. Now it's really important to understand that the first reading of the county budget is really the wish list. It typically includes all or nearly all of the requests. Now one thing that we don't expect to see on the April agenda is the second reading of the county's comprehensive plan. Right. So the comprehensive plan received first reading at the March 9th County Council meeting is ordinance number one dash 26. the comprehensive plan is something that the county is required to have. We're required to have this by the state of South Carolina and has to be updated every 10 years. So our plan was adopted in 2016. ⁓ Another item we're expecting to see is a Request for Qualifications, also known as an RFQ for Engineering Services at the County Airport. Yes, so a Request for Qualifications is a procurement document that is used to solicit a vendor based on experience, expertise, and capabilities. Now you may be wondering, why are we putting out an RFQ for Engineering Services for our airport? And that reason is that it is an FAA requirement. And that's your early look at what may be coming up on the April 13th County Council meeting. Again, the final agenda will be released ahead of the meeting, so be on the lookout for it and check it for the most up-to-date information. Once the final agenda is released, it will be posted on the county website under the recent news section. And if you want to attend the meeting in person, it will be held Monday, April 13th, 2026 at 6 p.m. at the County Administration Building located at 400 West Highland Street in Saluda. So one of the things that we expect to see on the April County Council agenda is the second reading of Ordinance 2-26, which is an ordinance authorizing a one-year postponement of the implementation of revised values resulting from the equalization program or reassessment, as provided in Section 12-43-217 of the South Carolina Code of Laws 1976 as amended. Man, that's a mouthful. Ever wish you knew what was coming before a County Council meeting, not after? On April 13th, County Council will be tackling several important topics that could impact your taxes, local schools, infrastructure, and more. And while the final agenda isn't out yet, we've got a pretty good idea of what's likely to be discussed. So today, we're giving you a preview. What to watch for, what it means, and why it matters. Because informed citizens don't just react, they stay ahead. All that today on Saluda County Unplugged. We will also see a bid award for replacing the HVAC system on the one stop side of the County Administration building. Yeah. So this HVAC unit is over 20 years old and the type of unit has a life expectancy of around 15 years. The unit's having some issues and the repair costs around $7,800. The cost to replace the unit, which again is five years past its anticipated life expectancy is $23,000. So And so that number that you will hear at first reading is generally much larger than what the budget will look like by the time we get to third reading. So the first reading really introduces the budget. The second reading will include a lot of revisions and amendments. And by the time that we get to third reading, we will have a balanced budget. Just like with every ordinance, there will also be a public hearing. So there will be an opportunity for public input as part of the process as well. And we also expect the first reading of the school district budget. We're required to put out an award in RFQ every five years to have an engineer on contract for any FAA funded project at our airport. Some of the recent projects that have been completed at the airport and funded by the Federal Aviation Administration include new runway lighting and taxiway reconstruction. We are also anticipating the FAA funding a resurfacing of our runway in an upcoming project. So lots of good things happening at the Saluda County Airport and being funded. and ordinance 1-26 is the 10-year update of that plan. The reason we don't anticipate seeing this in the April meeting is that the plan is being further revised with the biggest revision being the addition of maps regarding the current and future land use which was recommended to the county by the upper savannah council of governments. That's right and as I mentioned when we talked about the budget first reading is really the introduction of the ordinance But in layman's terms, this is an ordinance that will postpone the countywide property reassessment that was originally scheduled for this year. So Rachel, before we get into the reasons for that postponement, why don't you tell us a little bit about what the reassessment is? Okay, so the state of South Carolina requires every county to reassess properties every five years to align assessed values with the current market rates. This process pretty much just helps ensure that property values reflect what properties are actually We don't have that final agenda, but based on previous meetings and conversations with our county administrator and county council chairman, these are the items that we expect to see on the agenda. We'll break down each one, what it is, where it stands in the process, and what it could mean for you. So let's get into it. The meeting will also be live streamed on Facebook on the county. That's right. And it's also a really good time for the county to reaffirm their belief that, ugh. Just reaffirm. All That's right. And it's also a really, It would cost roughly one third of the price of a new heating and air unit to replace the current unit. But again, this unit is well beyond its life expectancy and so replacing that one broken part doesn't mean that other parts of the unit aren't on the verge of failure. So it makes more sense to go ahead and replace the entire unit. I imagine that the new unit will probably be more energy efficient so the hope would be that we will save on both Alright, just reread this section. Why can we not read the end? done so good. Good? Yep. And if you want to attend the meeting, it will be held on Monday, April 13th, 2026 at 6 p.m. at the County Administration Building located at 400 West Highland Street in Saluda. The meeting will also be live streamed on Facebook on the Saluda County SC government page. Our goal is to help you walk into these meetings informed, not guessing. That's right. And it's also a way for the county to reaffirm our belief that all Saluda County residents should have access to decent, safe, and sound housing. And while this may not have a Second reading is typically where you'll see amendments and revisions. in this case, we anticipate the biggest revision being the addition of these maps, which we expect again will be added for second reading. I know there's been some talk about trying to get the plan through third reading prior to the May council meeting, but that not really the timeframe that's being discussed at this point. And I will say that by the Federal Aviation Administration. So that RFQ is really about planning ahead and making sure we're ready for future projects at the airport. That's right. And speaking of planning ahead, let's talk about how we take care of the facilities that we already have in the county. Yes and it's important for people to know that these are two separate ordinances and two separate budgets but both have to be approved by county council. That's right the school district budget is typically the larger of the two budgets. When you look at your property taxes and on your property tax bill there's actually a little chart that breaks this down as far as how much of your taxes goes to the county, how much goes to the school district, and you live in one of the towns how much of it goes to the town. worth in today's market which in turn affects how property taxes are calculated. And that sounds like a really important thing that the county has to do every five years so why is it that we are looking at postponing it? So I spoke with our tax assessor Justin Ritchell and he explained to me that this year he lost his appraiser so in order to be able to complete a thorough reassessment they've decided to put it off until 2027 because there's no way one person can handle reassessing the entire county by himself. Yeah and while this may not have a direct financial impact like some of the other items we've discussed, it does speak to the value of the community and the importance of making sure everyone has a fair opportunity when it comes to housing. And finally, let's talk about something that won't be on the agenda this month, but it's still very important. Yeah, this is one that we know a lot of people are watching closely. future repairs and energy costs, which will hopefully help offset the expense of replacing the unit. Definitely. The county just wants to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us. And part of that is looking at the big picture as opposed to just focusing on the immediate problem. And so that's a look at how we are maintaining one of our buildings and also being mindful of the big picture and what those long-term costs look like. Next, we're going to shift from infrastructure transparency isn't just about what happens in the meeting it's about making sure that you understand it. Thanks for listening to Saluda County unplugged. We'll see you next time. you know, sometimes council will set sort of goals as far as timelines, but those are always subject to change. I can tell you that the original timeline for this was they were actually to have the plan in place last October. So that has actually been pushed back a couple of times just to make sure that the plan is, is done correctly and that it's done well. So that, that may time, ⁓ But for most Saluda County residents living outside of municipalities, you'll notice that around 45 % of your tax dollars goes to the county and the other 55 % goes to the school district. And that isn't necessarily a bad thing. Educating our children is a really important aspect of what our community does. So those are the two big budget items that we expect to see on the agenda this month, the county budget and the school district budget. And that is so much work and so we certainly understand that there's no way that one person could do that. Really, even two people doing it is pretty difficult. So that's the reasoning for that. to something a little different. And that's about more recognized note. Oh my gosh. It's okay. on, hang on. Can we clip that one line? Yeah, we can. So, all right, so go ahead and we're gonna pick back up with that that's how we're maintaining there. So. this is the second reading on this ordinance and just as a reminder to everyone listening each ordinance has to go through three readings and that process also includes a public hearing so we do expect to see this item on the agenda again for a public hearing as well as third reading in the near future. If I had to guess I would say that this one will probably have third reading in the May County Council meeting. All right so that's one item that could directly line that has been previously discussed is not really in place at this point. also want to add that we did have a conversation with Chairman Jim Moore and he has assured us that once the plan is ready for second reading the plan for adopting this is to have second reading one month, the public hearing the second month, and then the third reading would be the following month. So that's the the conversation at this point. Now let's move from finances to infrastructure, specifically what's happening out at the county airport. So that's a look at how the county is maintaining one of our buildings and being mindful of the big picture and the long-term costs. Next we're going to shift from infrastructure to something a little different and that's item ⁓ my gosh. So that's a look at how the county is maintaining its buildings and being mindful of the big picture and long-term costs. Next, we're going to shift from infrastructure to something a little different, an item that's more about recognition and awareness. impact property values and timing. Yeah, so let's shift gears a little bit and talk about something that impacts just about every single service the county provides and that is the county budget. And the reason for that is to make sure that Saluda County residents have plenty of time to review the plan and to provide feedback prior to third reading. So again, we don't anticipate seeing that second reading on the April agenda.