Mt Pleasant City Manager’s Update

Mt Pleasant City Manager Ed Thatcher

Friday, October 1, marks a New Year at City Hall. That’s the day the Fiscal Year 2021-2022 budget becomes effective following months of hard work by our City Council and staff in open meetings. The process also included a Public Hearing at the September 7 City Council meeting before being adopted at the September 14 meeting.

The balanced budget ensures the level of services citizens expect and deserve while also lowering the tax rate for the second consecutive year. Our Council and staff have a firm commitment to provide exceptional service with minimal increase to the tax rate. Specifically, we base the FY 2021-2022 budget upon a tax rate of $0.3620 per $100 of valuation, which is a 1.58% rate decrease from last year’s tax rate of $0.3678 per $100 of valuation or by 0.0058 cents, or an 11% decrease from the no new revenue rate.

The budget provides for critical infrastructure improvements and continued public safety service by our valued Fire and Police Departments, as well as the things that make our community unique, like our beautiful parks and Christmas and Spring celebrations.

In upcoming City Manager Updates, I will dive deeper into areas covered by our budget. You can also find the entire document on the city’s website at www.mpcity.net.

In the meantime, please plan to help plan the future of Mount Pleasant at the Community Forum held October 9 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm at the Civic Center. This come-and-go event is an integral part of the process to update the City’s Comprehensive Plan and develop a new Parks and Recreation Plan, both of which are essential tools that set and guide policy for further development and redevelopment, programs, infrastructure, and more.

We want to hear citizens’ thoughts on what they believe the city needs for young children, teenagers, adults, and seniors. The family-friendly forum will have activities for all ages, and we’re serving refreshments in the Civic Center at 1800 N. Jefferson Ave.

It is an honor to serve you and our City Councilmembers, who are volunteer servants working very hard on behalf of our great city. Please get in touch with me anytime at ethatcher@mpcity.net or 903-575-4000.