City Approves First Reading of $87.4M Budget

Greg Wilson/Anderson Obsever

Anderson City Council approved the $84.7 million fiscal year 2024-2025 budget Monday night, which includes three percent raises for all full-time employees and six additional firefighters for the Anderson City Fire Department.

The current budget, which must be approved on second reading June 24 to take effect, does not include a tax increase, but some fees will rise.

Officials said the big jump in tap fees and water/sewer capacity fees were necessary to keep up with the growth and demand on the systems. Residential sewer tap fees will increase from $1,000 to $2,000, and the residential capacity fee from $600 to $1,500, in the new budget.

The 3/4” water tap fee will be hiked from $1,000 to $1,500 while the 1” tap fee will change from $1,200 to the Cost of the line plus 25 percent.

The City Fire Department had requested eight new firefighters, but received six – three for each shift – to keep the budget in line with revenue. The growth in the city will require additional firefighters to be added in next year’s budget.

Council also gave approval to hire the firm that helped with construction and planning on the Linley Park Project to perform pre-construction services for a plan for Cater’s Lake renovations and upgrades. If the plan is approved by council, funding is likely to be merged into the planned Autumn bond issue for the $13.75 Linley Park Project, which will be from a variety of sources, including: $357,000 from leftover special obligation funds, $3.89 million in American Rescue Plan funds, $750,000 from sewer funds, and $3.25 million from hospitality tax funds ($1.75 million from fiscal year 2024 and $1.75 million from fiscal year 2025). The remaining $5.84 million would have come from a bond issue.

The Cater’s Lake Project would be much smaller in scale, and if approved is estimated to add $5.5 million to the bond issue.

Also included in the new budget is $1.5 million for the half-mile stretch of Main Street that would stretch from Tribble Street on South Main to Reed Street on North Main. New water/sewer lines will also be included in this upgrade for downtown.

Also on Monday night, city council honored long-time resident Charlie Ervin, for his life of service to the city and community and for being chosen the 2024 Carolinas Council of Housing Redevelopment and Codes Officials South Carolina Commissioner of the Year. Earvin’s work in the community, including his mentoring young men in the Men at Work program was praised by members of council during the meeting. Earvin was also reappointed to the Anderson Housing Authority Board to serve through Dec. 2026