Union County holds town hall on special assessments, RV occupancy and new revenue options

Union County commissioners and residents met Feb. 2 at the Providence Community Center for an extended town-hall discussion about county finances, focusing on special assessments, unauthorized RV occupancy and potential new revenue options.

County coordinator Jimmy Williams presented the fiscal picture for solid waste and emergency medical services, saying the county's solid-waste budget runs about $1.2 million a year while special-assessment revenue for garbage is only about $316,000. Williams said the county currently pays tipping fees that nearly equal what it collects for assessments and relies on transfers from the general fund to cover the difference.

"We paid the landfill almost as much as we collected," Williams said, outlining pressure on the budget and the need to consider additional revenue tools.

Commissioner Jackson and other board members and residents described a pattern of full-time RVs, tiny homes and other unassessed dwellings that use county services without paying special assessments, creating what one resident called "a cost-sharing imbalance." Resident Billy (self-identified in the record) read a letter arguing many full-time occupants in campers do not pay assessments while using roads, fire protection, EMS and solid-waste services.

The board discussed several potential responses: - Adjusting special assessments and adding a CPI adjustment so rates keep pace with inflation; staff noted garbage assessments have not risen since 1988 and EMS assessments rose by $20 in 2022. - Creating a per-lot special permit or separate assessment category for RVs and additional dwellings; Williams said draft language for new categories (RVs, campers by lot, accessory dwelling units) already exists and would be presented at a future workshop once the statewide LDR moratorium is lifted. - Adopting an impact fee tied to new construction to fund capital needs. Williams illustrated that a $1,000 impact fee on roughly 80 permits per year could raise about $80,000 annually, enough to contribute toward new ambulances. - Introducing a local five-cent gas tax the county has not previously enacted; Williams said state Department of Revenue guidance indicates Union County could have collected roughly $222,693 last year if it had adopted a 5¢ gas tax.

Multiple residents and commissioners urged phasing in any increases to avoid undue hardship. "I would like to see a phase system so that we don't hit the community with everything all at once," one commissioner said. Another resident urged enforcement to ensure fairness: "If RV or camper occupancy is permitted on a long-term basis, the counties should consider options such as usage-based service fees, occupancy permits with associated assessments, clear time limits and fair methods tied directly to service demands," he said.

Board members stressed a legal and administrative hurdle: they repeatedly cited a state-level restriction described in the meeting as "Senate Bill 180," which has limited counties' ability to amend local land development regulations (LDRs). Several commissioners said that, until the moratorium is lifted or clarified, the county can pursue only limited steps that do not require LDR changes, such as special-assessment adjustments, impact-fee studies and workshops, and administrative procurement of code-enforcement capacity (magistrate adoption) if legally available.

The board agreed to hold workshops and return with draft ordinances and options, including proposed categories and proposed rates, and to pursue outreach and further data collection before taking final action. Residents were urged to attend upcoming meetings for detailed presentations and to provide input.