Rock Hill presents balanced $313 million budget; proposes targeted sewer and sanitation increases

Rock Hill City Manager David Behan presented the city’s proposed two-year budget for fiscal 2025–26 on May 27, saying the spending plan totals about $313,171,909 and is balanced as required under South Carolina law.

Behan said the proposal contains no increases to electric rates, water rates, stormwater fees or the property tax rate for the coming year, but it does include targeted increases to cover outside costs: a 3% sanitation (solid waste) rate increase to cover York County tipping fees and an 8% wastewater rate increase (about $4 per month for a typical customer) to help fund the ongoing expansion of the city’s wastewater treatment plant on Red River Road.

The budget packet presented to council shows the city compares favorably on utility rates regionally and nationally, Behan said, and that the city has undertaken multiple budget work sessions. He told council the electric fund remains the largest fund because the city purchases power to resell to customers and that staff do not anticipate pressure for electric rate increases in the coming year.

The manager also outlined several fee and staffing changes embedded in the budget: modest increases to cemetery fees, updated inspection fees to better reflect staff time, changes to the encroachment fee and separate fees for plan sets submitted outside full civil plan packages. The proposed personnel changes include 10 new full‑time positions (many tied to the new Bleachery Field House and sports/events center), reductions in certain part‑time roles and a net five full‑time position increase overall. Behan said the city budgets on a two‑year basis and anticipates modest overall rate impacts (1.73% in the coming year, 1.6% the next year).

Council held a public hearing on the budget; no members of the public spoke. After the hearing, council moved the budget forward for first reading later in the meeting.

The agenda also included related ordinances and fee updates: first‑reading votes on a sewer rate ordinance (the roughly $4 monthly average increase), a solid‑waste fee adjustment tied to York County tipping fees (3%), and several fee schedule and code updates that implement the operational changes staff described.

Behan and staff emphasized the budget would fund an ongoing wastewater plant expansion and that certificates of occupancy for some developments remain conditioned on the city’s ability and willingness to serve once necessary pump‑station upgrades are assured.

Council received the city finance department’s Government Finance Officers Association budget award acknowledgment during the meeting; staff noted the finance team has received the distinguished budget presentation award for multiple consecutive years.

What’s next: council approved first reading of the budget ordinance; a second reading is scheduled at the council’s second meeting in June, when final adoption and any technical millage adjustments tied to reassessment will be considered.