Bond issue, budget and building addressed by county council

The Laurens County Council worked through some financial issues at its regular meeting Monday night, approving a $2.58 million bond issue on third and final reading while also approving second readings of the county’s 2025-26 general and fire services budgets.

Council also considered a moratorium on Open Space developments for the next six moths to give the Planning Commission and staff time to curb higher-density developments from coming into the county.

The $2.58 million bond issue includes $846,000 to expand the Laurens County Sheriff’s Animal Shelter.

The bond issue also includes $1.7 million in other capital improvements and purchases for the Laurens County Sheriff’s Office. Among those purchases listed are new cameras for $776,000 and new locks at the detention center for $256,000.

The animal shelter expansion comes at a time when the shelter is routinely at double its capacity. Shelter officials said this past week that more than 100 dogs are currently being held there.

According to financial counsel, the bond issue will coincide with retiring debt and will not necessitate a tax increase.

Council also approved second reading of its budgets for the 2025-26 fiscal year.

As proposed, the general operating budget of $48,712,108 will not require a tax increase despite an increase in total spending of around $2.5 million. The 2024-25 general operating budget came in at $46.2 million.

The EMS operating and capital budget of $6,749,949 was included as part of the general operating budget, while the fire services operating budget of $4,897,294 is separate.

The EMS capital spending budget will require a millage increase from 2.52 mils to 2.64 mils, while the operating budget will require a .45 mil increase from 9.22 to 9.67 mils. The Fire Services operating budget as proposed will require a millage increase from 23.45 mils to 24.59 mils, and the capital budget includes a millage incrase from 2.47 mils to 2.59 mils.

Third and final reading for the proposed budget is set for a special called meeting of council on Monday, June 23.

In other action Monday night, council asked for County Attorney Wes Meetze to draft an ordinance that would place a moratorium on “open space” development for six months to give the county planning commission a chance to close loopholes they say developers are exploiting.

Open space developments are designed with open or green space areas within them, but allow smaller lot sizes.

County Planner Lisa Wargo told council that some developers have taken that too far with quarter-acre lot sizes as opposed to the half-acre lots of conventional developments. That is not what planning commissioners want from Open Space developments in the county.

“Developers have figured out tht they’re getting twice as much density under the Open Space model, so everything they’re bringing in is Open Space,” Wargo said. “So, we have to correct for that.”

Wargo said the planned Open Space developments that have raised red flags are so far in the Fountain Inn area. Plans for two developments are currently under review and “quite a few more are coming in from pre-application meetings.”

“What we’re talking about is a moratorium on what is already in place,” said Planning Commission member Bobby Smith. “We want six months to help clean up the language (of the ordinance).”