South Greenville Fire District wins approval for 5-mill increase and $1 million bond after brief opposition

Adam Harbert, fire chief of the South Greenville Area Fire District, asked the Greenville County Finance Committee to approve a 5-mill increase to the district's operational millage and a general-obligation bond of up to $1 million to replace an aging engine and purchase rescue equipment.

Harbert told the committee the district has 9.3 mills available under the state's statutory cap but is seeking only five "out of respect for our taxpayers." He said the increase will fund personnel to maintain current staffing levels, offers competitive pay to retain trained firefighters, and supports capital improvements necessary to maintain the district's ISO 2 rating, which helps keep homeowners' insurance costs down. "Our motto at South Greenville is caring for our community," Harbert said.

Councilor Long, speaking remotely, said she reviewed the district's financials and noted higher-than-anticipated revenues last year and a growing general fund balance since 2016. "It looks to me like this is a want and not a need at this point," she said, and announced she would not support the millage at this time.

Other committee members pushed back. A council member who serves as the liaison to the fire chiefs said he had discussed the request with the chief and saw no substantive opposition in the communities served; he and others said obtaining a better long-term rate for equipment replacement through a GO bond "makes fiscal sense."

Harbert also explained that the department had pursued a lease-purchase option with USDA to secure a lower interest rate but that USDA later concluded the lease-purchase did not meet their parameters. Because of the district's enabling legislation, the only remaining option to secure the low-rate financing was a general-obligation bond; the department's financial attorney drafted a reimbursement resolution to replenish funds for a separate apparatus due to arrive in 2027.

The committee moved three related motions. A resolution to raise the millage passed by voice (committee recorded it as three in favor, one opposed). The ordinance authorizing the GO bond passed with a single recorded opposition. A resolution to set a public hearing on the bond also passed.

The chief said the bond request does not change project scope or the district's overall budget; it is a financing path necessary after USDA could not accommodate the lease-purchase structure. The committee did not specify further implementation dates during the meeting.

What happens next: the measures approved by the committee advance according to county procedures; the reimbursement resolution described by the department is intended to ensure funds are available for a separate apparatus scheduled for 2027.