Here’s a recap of the May 18 meeting of Greenville City Council.
Final approval: Operating and capital budgets for FY27
Council approved the final reading of the city’s $309.9 million operating budget for fiscal year 2027. The approved budget will go into effect on July 1.
No tax increases or changes to the city’s business license rates are included in the approved budget. The FY27 budget does add a $1 monthly increase to the city’s solid waste fee and a 2.4% increase to the wastewater base monthly fee and the stormwater annual fee.
Read more about the city’s operating and capital budget
Council also gave final approval to the $29 million capital budget for the first year of the 2027-31 capital improvement program. Approximately $3.5 million in interest from the city’s capital projects fund and $4.2 million from the capital projects reserve will be allocated specific projects.
The capital budget allocates funding to projects that support council’s five priorities:
- Recreation, Open Space and Resilience: $9.6 million
- Neighborhoods and Affordable Housing: $6.8 million
- Mobility and Transportation: $4.9 million
- Economic Development: $4.3 million
- Public Safety and Engagement: $3.5 million
Staff report: Memorial for Sgt. Ashley Munoz
Sgt. Ashley Munoz with the Greenville Police Department was killed in a head-on collision in Spartanburg County on May 15. Her wife and fellow Greenville Police Sergeant, Diana Munoz, was critically injured in the accident and airlifted to a nearby hospital. According to the city, both officers were off duty when involved in the accident that took the lives of four other individuals.
Greenville Mayor Knox White and City Manager Shannon Lavrin shared their condolences on behalf of the city to the couple’s family and the Greenville Police Department during Monday night’s meeting. Community members are invited to visit a memorial for Sgt. Ashley Munoz set up at the City of Greenville Public Safety Campus and Municipal Complex at 204 Halton Road.
“We are keeping Sgt. Diana Munoz, who was critically injured, in our thoughts and prayers,” Lavrin said. “We are so grateful that she is doing as well as she is, and we are hopeful that she will continue to show improvement with every passing day.”
Initial approval: Annexation applications
Council gave initial approval to five annexation applications, including two land parcels consisting of 7.56 acres off Conestee Road and Spanco Drive. Conestee Nature Preserve owns one of the parcels on the north side of the Reedy River requested to be zoned Park District (PK) in the city.
The second land parcel owned by the Lake Conestee Dam Restoration Project encompasses the newly built Conestee Dam on the Reedy River. Currently, half of the dam is located in the city while the other half is in the county. The portion of the parcel containing the dam is requested to be zoned PK. Mixed-Use 3 (MX-3) zoning is proposed for the other section located south of the Reedy River next to the historic Conestee Mill.
The other annexation applications include:
- 7 acres of open space on Grove Road and West Faris Road, with the proposed city zoning of PK
- 6.28 acres of land on Augusta Road, Traynham Place, Cashel Place, Carson Place and Caston Lane, with the proposed city zoning of PK, MX-3 and Community 3 District (RC-3)
- 0.78 acres of land at 201 Edwards Road, with the proposed city zoning of Residential House B District (RH-B)
- 0.31 acres of land at 116 Otis St., with the proposed city zoning Residential House D District (RH-D) in the Greater Sullivan Neighborhood Revitalization Overlay District
Approved: Naming of municipal courtroom
Council approved naming a courtroom at the City of Greenville Public Safety Campus and Municipal Complex in honor of Greenville Municipal Court Judge Matt Hawley. It will be named the “The Honorable Matthew R. Hawley, Jr. Courtroom.” Hawley will retire in the summer after 30 years with the Greenville Municipal Court.
Hawley was appointed as the court’s chief judge in September 1996. According to the city, he has presided over thousands of cases and led efforts to modernize the Greenville Municipal Court. He also spearheaded the establishment of Greenville’s Homeless Court.
Additional items
- Council approved the final reading of an ordinance to appropriate $400,000 to purchase modular public restrooms. The project will fulfill one of the requirements for enacting the city’s anti-camping ordinance. The city is required to open one 24-hour public restroom for men and one for women before the law can go into effect.
- Council approved a surface encroachment permit for Pinestone North Main LLC to install stairs to access the second floor of its building at 103 N. Main St. The stairs would encroach on the city’s property at One City Plaza.
- Council approved the final reading of an ordinance to amend the definition of the central business district within the city’s code of ordinances. The code amendment will outline a consistent boundary for the central business district within downtown Greenville.
- Council gave final approval to two easement agreements with Greenville Water System for the installation and maintenance of new water lines at Greenville City Fire Department’s new Fire Station Four off East Park Avenue and the city’s Public Works campus off Fairforest Way.
- Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to rezone approximately 0.24 acres on Pine Street from RH-D to Residential Neighborhood A District (RN-A).
- Council authorized the execution of a contract with Greene Finney Cauley LLP for auditing services to the city for fiscal years 2027 through 2031.
