Aug 2023: Council Adopts 2023-24 Budget With a 3% Raise, Hears OneSpartanburg's PowerUp Small-Business Program
Council gave final approval to a 2023-24 budget the paper put at $7M, with a 3% COLA for all city employees and no tax increase. OneSpartanburg presented PowerUp Spartanburg, including a $2M loan and grant fund for small and minority businesses.
The Woodruff Times reported on August 3, 2023 that Woodruff City Council gave final approval to the city's fiscal year 2023-24 budget.
The budget: The paper described it as a $7 million budget. (Its June story reported the first reading at $5.3 million; both figures are as published.) It gives every city employee a three percent cost-of-living raise and funds new equipment for the parks and police departments plus some small capital projects. City Manager Lee Bailey said staff covered the increases without raising taxes.
PowerUp Spartanburg: Allen Smith, president and CEO of OneSpartanburg, the county's chamber of commerce, presented PowerUp Spartanburg. He said research for the chamber's five-year strategic plan found the county does well at attracting large employers but less well at growing small and minority-owned businesses. The program includes a $2 million fund for start-up loans and grants at better-than-market rates, access to marketing, legal and accounting experts, help winning contracts with large county employers, and mentoring.
Other business: Council approved the second reading to annex and zone the parcels for the new Woodruff High School, adopted the minimum-distance rule for automotive businesses downtown, and extended the city's trash contract with Waste Connections.
Read the full story at The Woodruff Times (link below).