Update from Councilman Michael Johnson
January 21, 2015

Thank you for reading and for allowing me to serve our District!

New Council:
On January 5th the Council swore-in returning Council members and our two new members. The ceremony was held in York at the McCelvey Center and was well attended. At that meeting Britt Blackwell was voted the Chairman of the Council and I was voted Vice-Chair. I am excited about this new role and my expanded duties. I have also been asked to chair the Finance & Operations Committee for the Council. While I debated taking on that job, as I have enjoyed my work as chair of the Economic Development Committee over the past two years, I agreed to serve as chair of the Finance & Operations Committee but will continue to serve as a member of the Economic Development Committee as well.

It is my hope that I will have a greater impact on the budget and will be able to direct cuts to eliminate inefficiency and waste over the next two years while making sure our limited funding is spent in the areas that will benefit the County the most. I look forward to serving as Vice-Chair and in my new committee roles.

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Survey:
In December I conducted a survey to gauge the public�s thoughts on certain issues. Over the next few months I intend to share the results of the survey with you and have a greater discussion on each topic. This month I want to give you a general overview of the results and touch on a few issues. The survey asked which issues should be addressed by the County Council by ranking them 1 to 5 (5 being the most important). The average scores were:

  • Roads - 4.13
  • Residential Growth - 3.75
  • Increasing Business Growth - 2.66
  • Communication with the Public - 2.26
  • Parks and Recreation - 2.25

448 people responded to the survey, and the left 641 comments. I used the survey results when I attended the Council�s planning session in December. The Council met in Columbia to discuss future plans for the County, to determine the top issues facing the County and to create goals. During the meeting the Council agreed to address the following issues over the next two years:

  • Staffing � Employ the appropriate number of quality, goal-oriented staff for lower turnover
  • Comprehensive Land Use Plan � Draft a plan to deal with growth (business and residential) to improve quality of life
  • Roads � Build and maintain roads that are safe and alleviate congestion
  • Economic Development � Develop and maintain economic growth and high paying jobs
  • Capital Needs and Facilities � Modernize administrative facilities to improve efficiency and enhance customer service
  • Communications � Improve citizens understanding of County activities and events

I was encouraged that the Council as a whole agreed to address all of these issues and make them a priority in the upcoming year. It was important that the issues that face District One were made a priority by the entire Council.

Next month I will address the scores and comments on roads and will address each topic on a monthly basis.

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Textile Corridor TIF:
Due to the new Council being sworn in the work-load in January will be fairly light. With that being said, there are several issues that the Council will begin to assess and vote on over the next 6 weeks. The first issue of importance is the Rock Hill Textile Corridor Tax Increment Financing (�TIF�) District. The Rock Hill City Council has requested that the County extend the existing 25 year TIF for downtown Rock Hill.

The existing TIF was passed by the County Council in 2004 in order for development to begin in the textile corridor section of downtown Rock Hill. In the simplest terms, a TIF freezes tax rates received by the government as of a certain date for 25 years in order to revitalize a blighted area. While taxes may increase in the TIF District, the �new� taxes are used to offset the cost of the redevelopment of the area.

The City of Rock Hill originally wanted to issue $40 million in TIF debt to be repaid prior to 2029. The City�s plans were dealt a series of setbacks due to the economic downturn and the death of the major developer. The City has now asked the County to extend the TIF period an additional 10 years so that further redevelopment and revitalization can occur. They have also requested an increase in the debt limit to $59 million. If successful, Rock Hill estimates that 3,000 � 4,000 new jobs will be created and $134 million in new construction.

The County is required to agree to the process as the County will not receive tax increases during the period of the TIF. I have been involved in negotiations with the City on this issue and we have been able to secure several significant changes to the plan. First, in 2029 the County will be made whole. Rock Hill has agreed that in 2029 (the original end date of the TIF) the County will be given tax revenues based on the 2029 tax rolls (as opposed to the 2004 tax rolls). This will guarantee that the County does not lose any tax dollars as part of this process. Second, the debt limit will remain at $40 million. While the County is in no way responsible for the debt incurred by the TIF (the City of Rock Hill is the only liable entity), it seemed prudent to require Rock Hill to tighten their belt on this issue. This issue should be debated by the entire Council beginning in February and is certain to be contentious as numerous Rock Hill groups oppose the extension of the TIF.

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Roads Update:
Throughout District One the County is involved in numerous road projects to improve the flow of traffic. Here is the most recent timeline update of some of the projects impacting our area:

    • SC Highway 160/Gold Hill (SCDOT Project) - $8,599,525
      • Will create two (2) dedicated left turn lanes in each direction and widen intersection
      • The project was put to bid in November but bids were rejected by SCDOT due to being too high. New pre-bid meeting to be held February 17 and bid process to begin March 2015
      • Anticipate construction to begin Spring 2015, Completion Summer 2016
    • Hubert Graham Parkway (Pennies for Progress 2 Project) - $7,431,618
      • Will create an alternate way to Hwy 160 closer to entrance of Tega Cay
      • Right of Way acquisition 50% complete
      • Anticipate construction to begin Spring 2015, Completion late 2016
    • SC Highway 160/Zoar Road (Pennies for Progress 3 Project) - $6,885,581
      • Will create left turn lane on to Zoar Road and four (4) lanes to NC line
      • 30% Plans submitted to SCDOT in November 2014
      • Right of Way acquisition to begin 2015
      • Anticipate construction to begin Summer 2016, Completion Summer 2018
    • Gold Hill/I-77 (SCDOT Project) - $12,449,811
      • Will create a diverging diamond interchange to improve traffic flow. For a better understanding of this type of interchange click here.
      • Awaiting Federal DOT approval, 30% Plans nearly complete
      • Anticipate construction to begin Fall 2016, Completion Summer 2018
    • US Highway 21/SC Highway 51 (Pennies for Progress 3 Project) - $22,425,371
      • Will 5-lane Hwy 21 and Hwy 51 from Springfield Parkway intersection to NC border
      • 30% Plans submitted to SCDOT, responses received back in December 2014
      • Right of Way acquisition planned for 2015-2016
      • Anticipate construction to begin 2017, Completion 2019

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New Jobs in York County:
Schaeffler Group USA, which develops and manufactures precision products for machines, equipment and vehicles as well as in aviation and aerospace applications, is expanding its operations in York County. Schaeffler is investing $68 million to expand its manufacturing facility in Fort Mill, creating an expected 112 new jobs. The local expansion is one part of a larger capital improvement program at Schaeffler facilities in three South Carolina counties, totaling $163.8 million in new investment and more than 440 new jobs.

The expansion is expected to be completed by the end of 2016. Hiring for most of the new positions is anticipated to take place this year. Those interested in applying may visit the company's career page online. For more information on Schaeffler, please visit www.schaeffler.us

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York County by the Numbers:
$615 million � amount of capital investment by private business in 2014 7,778 � amount of new jobs created in 2014

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Speaking with Groups Around the District:
If you are involved with a local group or HOA that would like for me to attend a meeting to provide a County update, please let me know.

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Facebook:
I have a Facebook Page for Councilman Michael Johnson. Please "like" the page to receive updates during the week from me on Facebook.

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Small Business Help - SC Dept. of Commerce:
The South Carolina Department of Commerce has helpful information for small business owners and employees. To learn more, go to http://sccommerce.com/sc-business-network.

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Email Updates:
If you know of people in or around District 1 who do not receive my updates but they would like to get them, please email their names and email addresses to me.

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Road Issues:
If you see a road problem, call the SCDOT at 327-6186 or York County at 628-3200 to report the problem. If you do not get a prompt response, please email me at [email protected] or call me. Generally, most paved roads in the County are maintained by SCDOT. County roads are typically identified by a green sign, with small white numbers on the right hand side near the bottom.

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Thank you for the opportunity and the honor to represent you.
Please let me know if I can help you in any way or if you have questions about these or other issues. Your feedback is meaningful and appreciated.

Sincerely,
Michael Johnson