Resident urges Cherokee County to pursue lower millage in wake of Senate Bill 33

Thomas Weaver, a Cherokee County resident who spoke during the public-comment period, urged the Board of Commissioners to "lean in and be as aggressive as possible in trying to drive down our millage" in response to recent changes at the state legislature surrounding Senate Bill 33.

Weaver said the bill — still pending gubernatorial action and described at the meeting as subject to voter ratification if placed on the ballot — would force school systems into a CPI‑based cap on increases in homeowners’ net taxable values and would remove the opt‑out the county’s school system had previously used. He told the board he was asking them to explore lawful options for lowering the county's M&O rate in anticipation of state-level changes.

Weaver also acknowledged that legal counsel was the appropriate source for definitive legal advice and said he did not intend to provide legal guidance; he described his remarks as a citizen request for the commission to consider aggressive millage strategies should the state law be enacted. Chairman Johnston thanked Weaver for his comments and no further public commenters came forward.

Why it matters: Changes to state property‑tax law and caps on taxable-value increases can affect local revenue and the county’s ability to fund services. Weaver’s remarks register public concern and signal a constituency that wants the board to consider tax-rate responses as state law moves through its processes.

What’s next: Weaver asked the board to explore options; the transcript records no formal board action at this meeting in response to his comments.