Sangaree Connection

The Sangaree Crime Watch held its monthly meeting on 6/21/07. Approximately 50 residents attended, with several new faces in the crowd. We were pleased to welcome a guest speaker with connections to the Sangaree Special Tax District (SSTD), who was able to shed some light on the situation surrounding the tax increase for Sangaree.

The meeting was started by Chairman Brad Green, who introduced the other crime watch officers: Vice Chairman Joe Cornish, Treasurer Chris Hall and Secretary April McDevitt. Mr. Green then asked Ms. McDevitt to come forward and read the letter from Commissioner Marty Richard that explains the tax increase. Following the letter, our guest speaker spoke to the audience.

According to the guest speaker, the SSTD is currently planning to raise taxes from 34 to 50 mills. This increase will allow the tax district to balance the budget, create a temporary fire substation near the water tower, and have some funds left over to handle any unexpected cost increases and growth in Sangaree.

The guest speaker also informed the audience that the SSTD now has a plan in place with mandated timelines to build parks and a new administration building.

At that time several audience members had questions for the guest speaker.

Question: How did the SSTD acquire the funds in savings that were depleted by the tax cut?

Answer: The tax district (and also Berkeley County in general) is allowed to collect extra funds (via taxes) in order to meet certain goals that the advisory commission and other authorities mandate. These goals were never met and thus the money was never spent. It built up in the bank account until Berkeley County mandated that it be spent. The problem was that no one looked ahead to when the savings would run out until it was nearly too late.

Question: Will the new fire substation be completely volunteer?

Answer: Yes, it will be staffed by the C&B Volunteer Fire Department. The C&B is looking into hiring part-time firefighters. Also, just having a fire engine parked in Sangaree should greatly improve response time by the fire department.

There may be an added benefit for Sangaree taxpayers. Many homeowners’ insurance policies are priced according to a home’s ISO rating. Having a substation closer to your home may improve your ISO rating and reduce the premium on your insurance policy.

Question: How can we get the roads near our homes paved?

Answer: You need to contact whoever maintains the road (it could be SSTD, SCDOT or Berkeley County) and complain about the road’s condition. Some roads, for example the one that runs behind Blockbuster Video on 17A, were originally paved by the developer and are now not maintained by anyone.

Question: A few months back, the SSTD was talking about hiring an off-duty police officer to patrol Sangaree. What happened with that?

Answer: Due to the complaints of the residents, the Sheriff has placed more officers in the Sangaree area. The SSTD was told to wait on hiring an off-duty police officer until the Sheriff cuts back on patrols again. At this time, they are still waiting.

The SSTD needs community input about crime problems to determine when hiring the officer may be necessary again.

Question: Is the water tower functioning?

Answer: Yes and no. It is a backup water supply in case of a power outage. It does not supply water to Sangaree homes on a daily basis.

Question: Can we use the land under and near the water tower for a new administration building or substation?

Answer: The land belongs to the Berkeley County Water and Sanitation department, not the SSTD. So probably not.

Next to speak was the Sangaree Crime Watch chairman Brad Green. He told the audience that two weeks ago, the new South Carolina gang law was signed and went into effect. The gang law defines gangs and gang behavior. Mr. Green offered the audience copies of the law so that they can read it. If you would like a copy of the law, please contact the Sangaree Crime Watch.

Mr. Green also spoke about improving the roads in Sangaree. He has had some success in this area, specifically with Longstreet which now has reflectors to encourage drivers to stay on the appropriate sides of the road.

Mr. Green has been talking with the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) about the speeding on local streets. SCDOT will not allow speed bumps on any state-maintained roads, and Berkeley County follows the SCDOT’s example. It is possible that speed bumps are not allowed due to road design. Another option is adding stop signs at certain intersections to encourage drivers to slow down. It is a minimum $275 ticket for running a stop sign. If you know of an area that could benefit from a stop sign, please contact the Sangaree Crime Watch with the locations, including the nearest cross-streets.

The Sangaree Crime Watch is also encouraging residents to report to the electric company street lights that are out, dim or flickering. The electric company will also trim trees that obstruct street lights. Please call the Berkeley Electric Cooperative to report street lights that need service.

Mr. Green then introduced Ms. Francis Richardson who is coordinating a community event in August. Ms. Richardson reported that this year’s National Night Out is August 7 and she is working to hold an event in Sangaree. Please contact the Crime Watch for more information, or if you would like to help.

A resident asked to speak and was acknowledged. He asked the audience members to become more involved with the Sangaree Special Tax District by attending their public meetings and letting their voices be heard.

Thank you to all who attended the Sangaree Crime Watch meeting. Our next meeting is July 19 at 7:00 p.m.

Dear Resident,

My name is Marty Richard, I am a Commissioner for the Sangaree Special Tax District. Unbeknownst to most Sangaree residents, I have been heading up an effort with the commission to improve the response time of our first responders/fire department in Sangaree in conjunction with getting our Administration Staff at the SSTD into a new building. It has been the plan to try to house a fire engine in the same location as the new staff building to reduce cost, especially since land in Sangaree is hard to come
by.

Now there has been a lot of discussion about taxes going up and why.

Here is the situation: taxes are going up. Operational cost at the district have increased, and the past taxation policy had not been collecting enough taxes to balance the budget. Instead, the SSTD had been using monies out of the savings to make up the difference while allowing the residents to enjoy lower taxes.

Because we want to improve fire services (by providing the fire department with a location in Sangaree) install playgrounds, put our administration staff in a new building, and be able to plan for increases in the next garbage contract and fuel surcharges - taxes must increase. Most importantly, to balance the budget we have to go up on millage.

Bare minimum we can’t spend more than we are collecting. Please understand that even if the SSTD were to provide no additional services, no playgrounds, fire service, etc. taxes would still have to go up at least 10 mills to balance the budget.

As far as the new building, the SSTD has outgrown its current 20 year old steel building and direly needs to upgrade, it only has one bathroom and is not large enough for the number of employees we now have. At the same time understand we have put in to place goals for productivity in the community and plan to put in new playgrounds along with other improvements within Sangaree.

I, along with the other four Commissioners, are all tax payers right here in Sangaree and we want to see our money, everyone’s money, put to good use as well. In order to see this good use we have set time lines for parks and playgrounds to be put into place, along with a timeline mandate of no more than 3 years before a new administration building is built.

I would like to thank everyone who has asked questions and if you have more please feel free to contact the SSTD and ask how you can get in touch with your SSTD Commissioner, or email me at firefighter3strong@yahoo.com.

Thank you again.

Commissioner Marty Richard

We have all heard by now of the terrible murder of a beautiful young girl named Kelsey Smith. She was last seen leaving a Target store in Overland Park, Kansas. But do we realize how close to home this really is?

Kelsey Smith lived on Aberdeen Court in the Highland Village section of Sangaree from 1990 until 1993, along with her older sisters Stevie and Lindsey. Her father Greg was a Berkeley County Sheriff deputy and mother Missey worked for USA Today. They were like most of us in Sangaree–hard-working people wanting a safe home for their family. With all our efforts to make Sangaree a safer place we need to also remember to learn teach the children to be careful and aware at all times. Kelsey did nothing wrong. She was doing what she was supposed to be doing. Unfortunately for her, someone else was not.

Kelsey and her sisters were charming, polite, well-mannered children. They were children that Sangaree as a community could be proud of. Their last Christmas on Aberdeen Court, I remember all Kelsey wanted was a Dorothy Doll. Missey and Greg were searching everywhere for that doll, even having family in Kansas looking for it. I remember Kelsey got her doll. And I remember what great neighbors the Smiths were. Just as great as the ones we still have in Sangaree.

I have received news from a source close to the Sangaree Special Tax District Commission indicating that a large shortfall in the Tax District’s budget has been found. In order to make up for the shortfall, our taxes will be raised a significant amount. In addition, the tax district will not be able to acquire the new administration building/fire station that we told you about on the website (see item #2). In fact, Sangaree taxpayers can expect to receive no additional services from the tax hike.

How could this happen? Some of you may remember that a few years ago, the Sangaree Special Tax District lowered our taxes. Berkeley County had found that the tax district had a large amount of money, approximately $1 million, which had built up due to frugal spending by the district. The County Council mandated that the tax district reduce the fund balance. It seems that General Manager Chuck Chears, and then-Commissioner Charlie Davis, recommended to reduce taxes and make up the shortfall with the overage.

The overage is almost all gone and there is not enough tax money to make up the ongoing shortfall. Their solution? To raise Sangaree’s millage from 34 mills to at least 49 to make up the difference. To you and me, this will be an increase in our property taxes of about $50-$150.00.

According to our sources, the shortfall was discovered by accident. The shortfall was found while the commissioners were reviewing the budget for money they could use to fund a new administrative building and fire station. The Sangaree Special Tax District does not do any budget forecasting to estimate the tax district’s future income and expenses. They only look from one year to the next.

Bear in mind, taxes would have needed to be increased in some method as the reduction was paid for from the savings the tax district had accrued. However, as officials only recently found the shortfall, taxes that could have been increased gradually over a 2-3 year period will need to be raised all at once.

I spoke with Mr. Charlie Davis, Berkeley Councilwoman Cathy Davis’ husband, and a Tax District Commissioner when the taxes were originally lowered. According to Mr. Davis, “There isn’t a problem.� Although he acknowledged that taxes will need to be increased and that the building on Farmington can not be purchased.

Mr. Davis stated that the budget shortfall can be attributed in part to the increased garbage collection contract, and that the building on Farmington was too expensive. Mr. Davis also said that he and Tax District Commissioner Marty Richard are investigating cheaper alternatives to that building, and that a building may be financed with bonds that can be repaid at 3% interest.

This is the situation as it stands now. The current budget that Sangaree has submitted to the County is still calling for a millage of 34. Due to scheduling conflicts, the County and the Tax District have yet to meet and find a solution to the current problem and how to prevent it in the future. They have also not discussed if or how they will explain what happened to the residents.

I will keep you posted on developments on this situation as I learn more.

DNA results confirmed Monday that a body found in a shallow grave near Orangeburg was indeed that of the 67-year-old State Constable Robert Bailey.

Visitation for slain state constable Robert Bailey will be held from 6 to 9 p.m. Wednesday [23 MAY 2007] at the Summerville Family Worship Center, 407 N. Magnolia St., Summerville.

Funeral services are scheduled to be at the same location at noon Thursday [24 MAY 2007]. The burial will follow at Dorchester Memory Gardens, 11000 Dorchester Road, Summerville.

All services are open to the public. James A. Dyal Funeral Home on South Main Street in Summerville is handling the arrangements.

Donations to the Robert Bailey Assistance Fund, sponsored by the Coastal Crisis Chaplaincy, can be made at any Wachovia Bank.