Latest / Saluda County Unplugged / September 14, 2026 County Council Recap
Transcript
- Josh Morton: The airport Teahanger rental increase is now final, but a proposed increase in building permit fees didn't make it past second reading. Council also set the county and school millage rates, heard an update on EMS coverage, and began talking about a policy for county owned real estate. And during public comments, citizens recognize some improvements in how council hears feedback and discusses issues in public. There's a good bit to cover, so let's walk through the September 14th meeting from beginning to end. Welcome to Saluda County Unplugged, the podcast where we take what's happening in Saluda County government and explain what it means in plain English. I'm Josh. And I'm Rachel. This is our recap of the County Council meeting held Monday, September 14th, 2026. We're going to follow the meeting in order, starting with opening business and reports from council members, then moving through public comments, public hearings, old business, and the votes taken later in the meeting. As always, this isn't a word-for-word replay. Our goal is to give you the decisions, the discussion behind them, and the practical effect for people who live and work in Saluda County. Chairman Jim Moore called the meeting to order at six o'clock. Councilman Daniel gave the invocation and led the Pledge of Allegiance. Council then approved the agenda and the minutes from the August 10th meeting. After that came reports from council members. Councilman Atkinson said he appreciated the recent rain, although he wished every part of the county had received more of it. Council members also reminded everyone about the final capital project sales tax public information session scheduled for Monday, September twenty first at six o'clock in the council chambers. There was appreciation expressed for the citizens serving on that committee, as well as for the county's other boards, commissions, staff members, and employees. Another community announcement was the Saluda Lions Club golf tournament on September 23rd at one o'clock at Persimmon Hill. Councilman Daniel noted that peach season was winding down and said he was optimistic about the pecan crop. That led to a good natured discussion about how to pronounce pecan, pecan, something like that. along with the usual realities of gnats in the Ridge Spring area. Chairman Moore shared a number from a Capitol City Lake Murray country tourism report. According to that report. Short-term rentals generated about $2.3 million in revenue for our local citizens and property owners during the previous year. He used that figure to point out the economic impact visitors have beyond hotels and traditional tourism businesses. He also followed up on a road concern that Dr. Patricia Graham raised at the August meeting. Chairman Moore said that he visited the area himself. And he found that the county maintained road was in good condition and that the road needing attention appeared to be Abney Nursery Road, which is a state maintained road. He also said that the trash issue in the area wasn't as severe as he had expected based on the original report. That follow-up matters. Even when the answer is that a road belongs to another level of government. Going to see the location helps council understand the concern and helps residents know where responsibility actually falls. During public comments, Gail Meyer and her husband Jerry addressed the council. They acknowledge several improvements council has made in response to citizen concerns. They talked about changes that have made it easier for citizens to sign up and speak at council meetings, the importance of considering feedback from residents, and the value of discussing issues thoroughly during open public meetings. Their message was essentially to recognize that progress and encourage council to keep moving in that direction. Jerry also gave Councilman Justin Anderson credit for asking detailed questions of Safe Belt during the previous building permit discussion and thanked Chairman Jim Moore for his comments at the August council meeting about the importance of providing feedback to citizens who took time to speak to council. Council then moved into two public hearings. The first was on Ordinance 7-26, which dealt with rental rates for tea hangers at the Saluda County Airport. No one spoke during that public hearing. The second public hearing was on Ordinance 8-26, a proposed amendment to the county's building permit fee schedule. Ricky Bailey spoke and encouraged council to move carefully before increasing the fees. He raised several practical questions. He asked about the office and utility expenses involved in providing the service, the amount of inspection time the county receives, and how accountability works under the arrangement with Safe Build. He also questioned whether a flat increase treated small and large projects fairly and suggested council consider a tiered structure or explore whether some part of the service could eventually be handled in-house. Those comments did not change the ordinance during the hearing itself. A public hearing gives residents an opportunity to put concerns on the record. Council still has to act on the ordinance during the business portion of the meeting. That brings us to old business and the final vote on the airport tea hanger rates. Ordinance seven-26 received third reading and was approved. This ordinance amends the rental rates for hangers at the Saluda County Airport. The increase is twenty dollars per month, effective this January. Council also clarified language in the lease documents as the ordinance moved through the reading process. Because this was third reading and council approved it, that change is final. Next up was second reading of ordinance eight twenty six, the proposed building permit fee increase. No council members made a motion to approve it, so the ordinance died for lack of a motion. That's an important distinction. It wasn't postponed and it didn't remain pending for another automatic vote. The proposal stopped at second reading, which means the existing building permit fee schedule remains in place unless council introduces a new proposal later. The questions raised by Councilman Justin Anderson at the earlier meeting, along with the concerns voiced during the public hearing, were part of the broader discussion surrounding that decision. Council then moved into new business, beginning with the county millage rate for the 2026 tax year. Millage is one of those government terms that can sound more complicated than it really is. A mill is just a unit used to calculate property taxes based on a property's taxable value. Council approved an operating millage rate of 151.2 mils. The county's economic development millage remains at 6 mils. Public safety remains at 12 mils. Piedmont Technical College at 3.6 mils, the public buildings at 4.8 mils, and the fire millage account remains at 5 mils. The county auditor calculated the debt service millage at 5.52 MILLs. Council was told that one county mill is expected to generate approximately $86,338. The resolution setting those rates passed without opposition. It's helpful to remember that the different pieces serve different purposes. The operating rate supports regular county services, while debt service millage is calculated to meet the county's bond obligations. The other designated millage amounts support the specific functions named in the resolution. Council also approved the millage levy for Saluda County School District One. The district's operating millage was set at one hundred seventy five point four five MILS. The auditor estimated the school bond millage at fifty three point one two mills and reported that one school mill is expected to generate about sixty eight thousand six hundred and eighty three dollars. That resolution also passed without opposition. County Council's action formally levies the school taxes, but the school operating and bond rates are separate from the county rates we just discussed. Keeping those numbers separate helps explain why a tax bill contains multiple components rather than one single county charge. Next, EMS Director Jacob Starnes gave council an update on ambulance coverage and what the department calls status zero. Status zero means there is no county ambulance immediately available for the next emergency call because the staffed units are already committed. Director Starns reported that the county was at status zero for 38 hours in July In August, it happened 21 times for a total of about 30 and a half hours. Through September 14th, it had happened six times for about six and a half hours. The department's proposal is to use five part-time paramedics to share one quick response vehicle shift in the Mason area. That's one shared shift covered by a pool of five part-time people, not five new full-time positions. A quick response vehicle doesn't transport patients, but it carries equipment and a paramedic who can begin full care while an ambulance is on the way or tied up on another call. Director Starnes also explained that Saluda County relies on mutual aid from Edgefield, Newberry, and Lexington counties when necessary. And that he sometimes responds from home. Those options help, but response time depends on where the available unit is coming from. The estimated personnel cost is $65,814 for 40 hours of weekly coverage or $82,263 for 50 hours. Again, those figures were for the overall shared schedule, not an individual salary for each of the five part-time paramedics. Council did not vote to fund the plan at this meeting, and the expense was not included in the current budget. This presentation was informational only and gave council a clearer picture of the coverage problem and one possible way to address it. The next discussion involved how Saluda County buys, sells, and otherwise handles real estate. This subject grew out of concerns citizens had previously brought before council. Council discussed whether the county should adopt a more formal policy for real estate transactions. They were told that state regulations do not require the county to sell property at fair market value, but several members focused on whether obtaining a valuation would be a good practice even when it isn't legally required. The discussion referred back to a prior sale of county property on Highway 178. Council members acknowledged that the county probably should have obtained a valuation before that sale. They also discussed using the county tax assessor's appraisal expertise and recognized that different kinds of property may need different treatment. A parcel in the commerce park, for example, may involve economic development considerations that don't apply to an ordinary piece of surplus land. Buildings can add another layer of complexity. No policy or ordinance was adopted, no real estate transaction was approved, and no final vote was taken. Council agreed to continue researching the issue and work towards a process that gives the public more clarity about how real estate decisions are made. Council then considered a resolution recognizing September as National Preparedness Month. The resolution encourages residents, businesses, and community organizations to prepare for emergencies by making plans, building emergency supply kits, staying informed, and knowing how they'll communicate when normal systems are disrupted. That message lands a little differently after we experienced Hurricane Helene two years ago. Preparation can sound like one more item on the list until the power is out, roads are blocked, or family members can't reach each other. A little planning ahead of time can make a difficult day more manageable. Council approved the resolution. The practical takeaway is simple know your plan before you need it, keep basic supplies available. And make sure everyone in your household knows how to reconnect in case you're separated. The final action item involved the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority Board. Council appointed County Administrator Regina Turner to serve as the county's alternate and removed former County Administrator Sandra Paget following her retirement from the county earlier this year. That motion passed. This gives her the ability to speak on behalf of Saluda County if Chairman Moore is unable to attend a meeting of the Three Rivers Solid Waste Authority. Council adjourned at approximately six fifty one PM. The final outcomes included the tea hanger rate increase, no increase in building permit fees, approved county and school millage rates, the preparedness resolution, and an alternate appointment to the Three Rivers Board. The EMS proposal and real estate policy remain under discussion. The council reports and citizen comments also gave us a fuller picture of the meeting. Local government isn't only about the final votes. It's the reports, public input, questions, and discussions that lead to them. Have questions or an idea for a future episode? Email us at publicinfo at salutacounty.sc.gov. And in the spirit of Ferris Bueller, life moves pretty fast. County Council requires three readings. We'll see you next time on Saluda County Unplugged.