The town of Summerville has just completed its required comprehensive plan which is set for second reading.
The staff, in harmony with the Charleston Berkeley Dorchester Council of Governments (COG), worked long and hard for a few years to produce a good plan. The appointed citizens group planning and development commission held many hours of public hearings to allow for adequate citizens participation.
Then this plan was approved by the towns planning and development committee which I chair and sent to council for final approval.
At the very last minute it has been suggested that a civic center be included and a change or wording to “promise” certain things to the citizens.
While I believe the civic center is a great idea I would support the Chamber of Commerce and the business community taking the lead on this issue instead of the town since the town is dedicated to providing essential services such as garbage and trash pick up and police and fire protection. The town has a very low millage rate that barely allows for essential services and I am not in favor of raising taxes. Perhaps the business community can find the money for a civic center and the other things that some want to “promise” as part of the comp plans.
I would certainly support the business community in any way I could short of raising taxes.
We are in tough economic times right now and I think a fiscal conservative view is necessary as we look to the future for the town.
The state of California is suffering from a negative budget that can’t be balanced because of promising many things to their citizens that are not feasible. California raised taxes until the citizens could not take it any more than the citizens rebelled with a “no more tax” proposition.
Since the comprehensive plan is simply a vision statement for the next 10 years and not a commitment and does not preclude any action or project that’s in the town’s best interest . . .
I think we should be conservative in the working of the comprehensive plan.