Mount Pleasant residents voice concerns for 2011 city operating budget at town hall meeting

• Tweet
• 

Residents voiced their opinions on the proposed 2011 budget cuts for the City of Mount Pleasant at a town hall meeting Tuesday night.

About 35 people gathered at City Hall, 401 N Main St., to provide feedback on the plan which outlines a proposal to deal with the $1 million shortfall in Mount Pleasant’s 2011 city operating budget.

Mayor Jim Holton was grateful for the number of people who attended the meeting.

“We’re here to get information from you and what your thoughts are,” Holton said to the meeting attendants. “We’re looking for information to help guide us in the right direction. This is a tough time for the city.”

The decrease in available city funding is due to inflation and a decrease in state-shared revenue, which is a partial return of state sales tax to the community said Community Information Coordinator Julie Swidwinski.

Since 2001, Mount Pleasant has seen a drop of approximately $1.2 million in state-shared revenue.

The proposed budget is not set in stone, but a budget outline must be approved by the City Commission’s second meeting in December.

Common complaints at the meeting dealt with the proposed increase in bag/tag fees for city garbage and a reduction in public safety funding.

Feeling the pinch

Ten residents addressed the City Commission.

“I understand what a tough job this is, it’s never easy doing a budget, and I think this year is probably the worst,” Mount Pleasant resident Ron Roly said. ”I am concerned about the increase in the bag/tag fees. I believe that would be a hardship on the poorer members of our community.”

Roly said some residents may not be able to afford garbage pickup and may resort to storing trash on their property.

“I think it would cause some health issues,” he said.

The bag/tag program was originally set up to be self-sufficient, Holton said. The last increase in price for the program was in 2001 and it no longer supports itself.

Rich Swindlehurst, owner of Blue Gator Sports Pub & Grill, 106 N Court St., agreed with Roly.

He said he often finds residential trash in his business’ dumpster.

He’s afraid an increase in bag/tag fees will also increase the use of the dumpster by city residents.

Mount Pleasant resident Sid Smith said the proposed increases in parking meter charges, non-resident recreation fees and rental housing license fees are great ideas for increased revenue.

However, Smith expressed concern about proposed cuts in public safety funding.

“I’m asking the commission to remove the cuts to the department of public safety,” he said.

Smith said Mount Pleasant has a proactive fire and police department.

“All of us should want to maintain that quality of services,” he said.

Commissioner Kathleen Ling said the commission has received about 50 to 60 e-mails, letters and phone calls regarding the proposed budget.

“The big debate will be snow plowing, leaf pickups and public safety,” Holton said. “Public safety hits the heart of everybody.”