Important Pickens County Council Meeting Tonight / Stop TIF taxation

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Dear Conservatives,

Please attend the Pickens County Council meeting on March 5, 2012 at 6:30PM.

Some very important items are on the agenda. We need a good showing of Conservatives!

If you would like to speak to the Council you need to arrive early so you can place your name on the speakers sheet.

Note the information below:

Thanks,
David Merck
President, Conservatives of the Upstate

PICKENS COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING

Monday March 5, 2012
6:30 PM
Auditorium, County Administration Facility
222 McDaniel Avenue
Pickens SC, 29671


This agenda is not inclusive to everything the council may discuss:


1. WELCOME AND CALL TO ORDER


2. PUBLIC FORUM:


3. APPROVAL OF MINUTES - February 6, 2012


4. ADMINISTRATOR’S REPORT:


5. COMMITTEE REPORTS:
Administration and Finance
Committee of the Whole


6. COUNCIL CORRESPONDENCE:


7. MOTION PERIOD AND NEW BUSINESS:


8. PRESENTATION FROM ANDERSON, PICKENS, OCONEE MENTAL HEALTH


9. APPROVAL OF BID FOR SIX MILE FIRE STATION


10. APPROVAL OF WEATHERLY DRIVE BEING ACCEPTED IN THE MINIMUM MAINTENANCE ROAD SYSTEM:


11. FIRST READING OF AN ORDINANCE TO ADDRESS PENALTIES RELATING TO THE SOLID WASTE STICKER PROGRAM:


12. THIRD READING OF ORDINANCE NO. 450 ESTABLISHING UNIFORM POLICIES FOR THE EVALUATION AND APPROVAL OR DISAPPROVAL OF TAX INCREMENT FINANCING REDEVELOPMENT PLANS AND DISTRICTS IN MUNICIPALITIES LOCATED WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF PICKENS COUNTY, AND ADDRESSING THE ISSUANCE OF MUNICIPAL DEBT FINANCING FROM REVENUES DERIVED FROM SUCH DISTRICTS, AS WELL AS THE USE OF SUCH REVENUES FOR ON-GOING PROJECTS WITHIN MUNICIPAL REDEVELOPMENT DISTRICTS ESTABLISHED PURSUANT TO THE PROVISIONS OF CHAPTER SIX OF TITLE 31 OF THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, AS AMENDED, AND RELATED MATTERS:


13. APPROVAL TO PURCHASE A FIRE TRUCK FOR ROCKY BOTTOM FIRE DISTRICT:


14. APPROVAL TO PURSUE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST CLEMSON CONCERNING TAX INCREMENT FINANCE (TIF) DISTRICT:


15. CONSENT AGENDA:


16. EXECUTIVE SESSION:


Boards and Commission (Crosswell Fire/Pickens Fire)
Legal update Margaret and Gary Pope
Legal issue (1) Pickens fire


17. ADJOURN:

Stop TIFs that are Taxation Without Representation

by Weldon Clark

Your support is needed to control TIFs that take millions of your tax money. Please support County Council's effort by coming to the next County Council meeting Monday March 5 at 6:30 Pm at the County Administration Facility at 222 McDaniel Ave Pickens and speaking at the public forum in favor of proposed ordinance 450 to control TIFs and support County Council's legal action against the City of Clemson that has abused TIFs. You must sign up ahead of time to speak. 

TIFs are Tax Increment Financing Redevelopment projects (authorized by Chapter 6 of Title 31 of South Carolina code). The original reason for these projects were most likely very good. However these TIFs keep going on and on. The money comes from property taxes paid by the town residences that would ordinarily go to the County and School District. Both the County and School District provide services to the residences of the town.
Since TIF money would normally be county and school district revenue for the benefit of ALL county citizens, the citizens within the unincorporated areas must make up the loss by paying higher taxes to maintain their own services. 

Something else is going on. The people in the towns get to vote in County Council elections. We in the County do not get to vote in the elections held in towns. If these TIFs continue on and on it is taxation without representation. 

The City of Clemson is an example of foolish pending of TIF money. From the Greenville News Clemson city park plan envisions tennis center By Anna Simon. A new $4 million plan to guide continuing development of a park system that is already a source of pride in this college town includes a potential tennis center that would be shared by the city and university.