Greenville County continues Lake Cunningham Fire District millage after councilor calls for cut

The Greenville County Committee on Finance voted to continue the Lake Cunningham Fire District's current millage rate at a meeting of the committee.

Mister Lambert introduced the item, saying the district's present millage rate is "43 and 8 tenths mills for operations and maintenance, which is 28 and 8 tenths mills above the 15 mills established by state statute for the district." Councilor Long spoke during discussion and urged the district to consider a millage decrease on behalf of taxpayers while noting the district's recent revenue gains.

Councilor Long read from an email and said, "I'm asking, on behalf of the taxpayers, I ask that you consider a millage decrease based on the financial performance and the net position of the fire district." She said the district's millage revenue from millage was "$3,834,965" in 2024 and "$4,693,912" in 2025, which she described as a 22.4% increase in millage revenue between those years. Long said she would vote to continue the millage but urged careful budgeting going forward.

A motion to continue the district's millage carried by voice vote; the transcript records "the ayes have it." The committee did not record a roll-call tally in the provided excerpt. Chief Brown of the Lake Cunningham Fire District attended the meeting and was available for questions.

Councilor Long said the district's growth contributed to revenue increases and suggested the district could budget differently to fund a station from current resources. The committee's vote allows the district to maintain its existing millage rate; any change to the millage rate in a future cycle would require additional action consistent with state statute.