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Saluda County council reviews budget shortfall and weighs tax options
Summary
Council heard department budget presentations May 26 and identified a projected $321,431 shortfall; members discussed targeted raises for public safety, a possible 2.5% county cost‑of‑living increase and the revenue steps needed before a vote. A public hearing is set for June 8 and a June 22 call meeting for third readings.
The Saluda County Council spent its May 26 workshop reviewing department budgets and possible ways to close a projected $321,431 gap in the proposed fiscal year budget.
Chair (speaker 2) told the council the packet shows projected revenue of $18,000,724.95 and projected expenditures of roughly $19,041,926, producing the shortfall. He said the council will hold a public hearing on both budgets at the regular June 8 meeting and a call meeting on June 22 for third readings and final action.
The council focused on personnel costs as the largest budget driver. The sheriff (speaker 3) urged an across‑the‑board increase for deputies and other public safety staff to remain competitive with neighboring counties and to address retention. The chair and other members discussed alternatives: a full 8% increase for public safety (which the chair estimated would cost the county about $333,000) versus a more modest 2.5% cost‑of‑living raise across the board (estimated at $266,000). “If we gave everybody in the county a 2.5 percent raise, it would only cost $2,266,000,” the Chair said as he walked through budget math and tradeoffs (chair paraphrase of spreadsheet figures).
Council members emphasized the need to target scarce dollars and to refine revenue projections before deciding to raise taxes. The chair cautioned that closing the remaining gap entirely through raises would require a significant tax increase — he estimated a 7‑mill increase to cover combined shortfalls and proposed raises — and said staff will update revenue numbers as state aid figures become available.
The workshop ended without votes on pay or tax changes; the council set the public hearing and the June 22 call meeting as the next procedural steps for the budgets.
The council adjourned after the schedule was confirmed.
