NEWBERRY — Newberry City Council passed second reading of the budget last week with a one mill increase in taxes and no increase in business license or garbage fees. This takes the city’s millage from 80.7 to 81.7 in fiscal year 2024 that begins July 1.

Motion to approve the budget was made by Councilperson David DuBose and seconded by Councilperson David Force.

The general fund budget was balanced at $11,854,574, an increase of $977,949 or 8.99% compared to last year. There has been no city millage increase in over 12 years, City Manager Matt DeWitt said.

The millage increase will amount to $8 per year in taxes for a homeowner with a home that costs $200,000, he said.

Due to cost increases in tipping fees, the city will no longer stay in the commercial sanitation business.

Public Works Director Kip Gunter said the city had received two bids from sanitation providers, however, neither met the full requirements of the city’s request for proposal (RFP). One bid, Gunter said, was contingent on the exclusivity of all new/existing customers in the city, to which he said they could not guarantee.

“To keep a free market, we could not tell our customers who they could and could not use,” he said.

Gunter said the city would begin sending letters to commercial sanitation customers giving them until September 30 to find their own providers. These letters would contain a list of service providers willing to serve existing city commercial customers.

The city’s commercial equipment will be put up for bid online after that time, Gunter said.

Several members of council felt business owners may need longer than the September 30 window to switch to a new service provider to which Gunter said he felt those that had not made the switch may incur a penalty and that the average customer should be able to successfully switch providers in 7-10 days.

City commercial sanitation customers will receive notification from the city of the discontinuation process and further steps. Any questions regarding the change can be directed to the city’s Public Works department at 803-321-1020 during business hours (Monday-Friday from 7 a.m. until 3 p.m.)

Under old business, Mayor Foster Senn held a public hearing of an ordinance to modify the utility rates set forth in the city’s code of laws.

City Utility Director Tim Baker said an increase of $1 on base facility charges, and 5% on consumption for both water and sewer is recommended in the upcoming budget. An increase of $6 on base facility charges and 4% on consumption is proposed for electric.

The proposed average customer increases would be as follows:

• Electric (based on 988 kWh) – $10.03 increase.

• Water (based on 776 cubic feet) – $1.96 increase.

• Sewer (based on 776 cubic feet) – $2.42 increase.

The rise in base facility charges will bring water to $14.56 and sewer to $27.09. The last electric rate increase the city passed was in 2014, Baker said.

With no one speaking in favor or opposition of the proposed utility rate ordinance, Senn declared the public hearing closed. With a motion by Councilperson Jackie Holmes and seconded by Councilperson Edwin Wicker, second reading of the ordinance was passed.

Under new business, council approved a request for outside water and sewer for a property located at 2207 Adelaide Street. Motion was made by Councilperson Lemont Glasgow and seconded by Holmes.

A petition to annex this property on Adelaide Street was also approved by council with a motion from DuBose, seconded by Wicker.

First reading to annex the property was approved with a motion by Holmes and seconded by Wicker.

With a recommendation by the Newberry Planning Commission of a zoning classification of R6 – Residential and the property owner’s petition to reclassify the parcel on Adelaide Street, first reading of an ordinance to assign zoning to the parcel was approved. Motion was made by Glasgow and seconded by Councilperson Carlton Kinard.

Elyssa Haven is the Public Relations Coordinator at the City of Newberry.