County plan hit by downturn
Last Updated on 12/4/2008
Published on 10/9/2008
By Scott Harper
sharper@gtowntimes.com
The current downturn in the economy is impacting the $330 million Capital Improvement Plan (CIP) approved by Georgetown County Council.
When the plan to build new recreation complexes in Georgetown County and to renovate others was ratified last year, the economy was in a slowdown but had not reached the crisis stage the country is now experiencing.
At the time the CIP was being planned, it was projected Georgetown County would see an increase in property values of about three percent annually which would help pay for the projects.
At a workshop this week, County Administrator Sel Hemingway told Council those projections have been revised and the forecast is for a one percent increase for each of the next two years. He stressed those numbers may have to be revised again depending on what happens with the economy.
Hemingway said there has also been a nearly $6 million decrease in impact fees, one of the bigger funding sources for the CIP.
Hemingway spent nearly an hour Tuesday presenting Council with pages and pages of numbers detailing the costs of the numerous projects contained within the CIP.
He said he knows residents are ready to see "dirt moving" so as of now the project will proceed as planned. What county staff needs to know is which projects Council would like to see worked on first.
Another workshop will be held at 3 p.m. Tuesday, Oct. 28, for Council to prioritize the list of projects.
Hemingway said it is very important the projects that are approved have adequate funding allocated to cover the operation and maintenance costs.
"It could delay the projects if the O&M costs are not there," Hemingway said.
It is believed new impact fees -- a one-time charge to the builders of new homes and businesses -- will bring in about $1.7 million annually but, by law, those fees must be spent within three years of being collected.
The current projections are for the county to spend $7.4 million improving libraries and building new ones, including a new library adjacent to the new Waccamaw Intermediate School.
Another $9.7 million will be spent on law enforcement. Hemingway said once the new Georgetown County Judicial Center is built, more deputies will need to be hired for courthouse security.
New and improved roads on the Waccamaw Neck are expected to cost about $13.3 million with another $7 million to be spent on other county road improvements.
The Georgetown County Planning Commission will decide whether or not to approve the proposed impact fee plan when it meets Oct. 16.
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Georgetown County Judicial Center will need more deputies for security. Are there more crazy people than there were in the past or has the government stopped representing the people and feels the need to protect itself? Posted by What's wrong. on 10/12/2008
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