Initial Approval For Goose Creek Budget

Goose Creek City Council gave preliminary approval to the 2012 budget Tuesday. Members recognized it was a no-frills budget, but stressed the value of keeping taxes and fees unchanged.

The council approved the first reading, 7-0. The $35.7 million budget includes six new police cars, some playground equipment, and an updated phone system for city offices.

“We have been able to maintain the services that people are used to,” said Councilman Mark Phillips. “We haven’t expanded them a lot, but we’ve been able to maintain.”

Though it won’t have a tax increase, residents will likely see a higher tax bill. That is because sales tax collections that offset some property taxes . For an average home with a value of $185,000, that means a city tax bill that’s estimated at $113 for 2012 — a roughly $50 hike from what they saw in 2011.

Mayor Mike Heitzler noted its been more than three decades since a tax increase and more than a decade since a business license increase and the city is happy to keep that record up. "The economy is really, really bad and city council didn't want to put any more pressure on the dollars you spend,” he said. “We'd rather do without."

Looking ahead, several council members recognized that staffing levels will have to increase as the city grows. "We're going to have to find a way to pay for those firefighters and police officers that we all want and need,” said Councilman Jerry Tekac.

Mayor Pro Tem Kimo Esarey stressed the importance of supporting economic development, noting that bringing businesses to the city takes some of the tax burden off of residents. “We need to find the properties around our community that we can develop,” he said. “We need to get very creative or taxes will increase."