On February 4th a delegation from Simpsonville including members of council and City staff participated in Hometown Legislative Action Day, an event put on by the Municipal Association of South Carolina. It’s a day for cities and towns across the state to gather in Columbia and exert our collective influence on the General Assembly. This year we gathered in particular to push back against House Bill 4431 which in its present form would have a huge revenue impact on Simpsonville and every other municipality in the state. H4431 changes the methods by which a business license is processed, and mandates sweeping changes in the way the business license tax is assessed, collected and enforced. We support standardization but want to see this happen in a way that’s equitable for both the businesses and the cities that support them. Following our day in the capitol Simpsonville co-hosted a dinner with four other cities from Greenville County: Fountain Inn, Greer, Mauldin and Travelers Rest. This dinner was attended by the mayors of all five cities, the majority of council members, and 14 members of the Greenville County Legislative delegation. This included all six members of the General Assembly representing the citizens of Simpsonville; Senators Ross Turner, Shane Martin, and Danny Verdin; and Representatives Garry Smith, Ashley Trantham, and Mark Willis. It was a success and I thank the City staff for a job well done. In other news, we’re seeing some progress on communication with you the citizens before the city considers taking action. Take a look at Simpsonville.com and you’ll find a new “Public Notices” button that includes the same text as the legal announcements published in the Greenville News. These notices will be listed on Simpsonville.com at the same time they are published in the paper. There was also more information published prior to our latest City Council meeting beyond just the agenda. It is hoped you’ll find these bits of information helpful in getting a better idea of what’s up in front of Council, the Board of Zoning Appeals and the Planning Commission. I think you’ll find it’s mostly boring, but it’s there if you need it. We really don’t want to blindside you.
Thanks for listening. Back to work.♥
