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Greer council adopts 2025–26 budget, lowers millage by 2 mills
Summary
City Council approved Ordinance 13-20-25, the City of Greer fiscal year 2025–26 budget, reducing the property tax rate by two mills; the measure passed unanimously.
Greer City Council on final reading approved Ordinance 13-20-25, the City of Greer budget ordinance for fiscal year 2025–26, and lowered the city millage rate by two mills. The ordinance passed on a unanimous voice/roll-call vote of the council.
The budget ordinance funds city operations and capital projects while reflecting a two-mill reduction achieved “uniformly between Greenville County, Spartanburg County,” Councilman Jeff Bettis said during the discussion. Mayor Danner and other council members described the budget as one that sustains public safety, parks and recreation investments and planned capital work including a public safety training facility.
City Administrator Mr. Merriman said the millage reduction was calculated from projected assessed values and came solely from tax revenue changes. Merriman also confirmed that a separate account of restricted fines and forfeitures previously identified by council is being applied to the public safety training facility.
Mayor Danner provided a historical framing of local tax rates during the discussion, noting previous millage levels in past decades and saying the city has used tax dollars to build or renovate municipal facilities including city hall, a police department, a parking garage and park amenities. “This is a good budget. We are in a good place,” Danner said.
Council members raised several budget-related questions during the hearing, including state aid projections and whether the city should bank formula-driven state aid for one-time expenditures. Councilman Aaron Wood asked about the apparent increase in state aid year-over-year; Merriman said state aid is formulaic and has been increasing as funding returned to formula calculations.
With no further debate, the council voted on the final reading. The roll call recorded the following votes in favor: Aaron Wood; Booker; Mark Hopper; Dumas; Bettis; Ms. Albert; and Mayor Danner. The ordinance was adopted.
The council did not amend the ordinance at the meeting. Administrator Merriman and staff will carry out implementation steps described in the budget documents.
