Calhoun County budget would up taxes

The 118.36-mill $16,062,302 budget is a 3.36-mill or 2.8% increase from the current fiscal year’s budget.

The 118.36 is equivalent to $7,562,665 in revenues for the county.

The millage increase will mean a $33.44 annual tax increase on a $100,000 home in the county, Calhoun County Administrator John McLauchlin said.

McLauchlin said a copy of the budget with details will be provided at the next Council meeting Monday, June 13, when third and final reading is to be given. He said there could be additional changes to the budget prior to the final reading.

A public hearing will be held in the Calhoun County Council Chambers at 102 Courthouse Drive in St. Matthews at 5:30 p.m. on that date.

The eight budget ordinances approved by council included public schools, Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College, the Calhoun County Disabilities and Special Needs Board, capital improvements, water and wastewater, the Calhoun Hills Golf Complex, the Sandy Run Fire Department, the Calhoun County Rural Fire District and general county operations.

The county’s 2022-23 fiscal year begins July 1.

There was no public discussion about the budget either before or after second reading.

In other matters, Calhoun County Council gave unanimous third and final reading to fee-in-lieu-of-taxes incentives for Red Rock Developments to build a speculative building in the county.

There were no public comments made during the public hearing prior to third reading.

The 497,952-square-foot, cross-dock speculative industrial facility will be built at the Sandy Run Industrial Park. It is the 761-acre park’s first speculative building.

The building is expandable to 663,836 square feet and is touted by project officials as the largest expandable spec building ever to be constructed in the market.

The project was formerly identified as Project Beach.

The building will be paid for entirely with private dollars.

The industrial park is located off U.S. Highway 21 on Interstate 26 (Exit 119). The park has access to all utilities.

Currently, the industrial park is home to DAK Americas and Zeus Industries’ 148,000-square-foot plant. About 580 acres of the park can be developed. 

A groundbreaking ceremony will be scheduled for the park Tuesday, June 21.

In other business:

• Council also passed a resolution to enter into a joint county industrial park agreement with Lexington County.

The joint county industrial park agreement is a tax incentive mechanism and not a physical park. Under the agreement, Calhoun counties will receive 1% of the revenues generated by the company, which is located in Lexington County.

• Council tabled a resolution to participate in the state insurance benefits program in order to be able to present the matter to county employees prior to approving. The county has about a month before the resolution needs to be approved.

The county has used a private provider for the last 11 years.