Greenville City Council approved the first reading of the city’s $309.9 million operating budget for fiscal year 2027.
Council voted on the budget following a public hearing at its May 11 meeting. A second and final reading of the budget will take place on May 18. If approved, the budget will go into effect on July 1.
The FY27 budget does not include a tax increase or changes to the city’s business license rates. The city’s solid waste fee will increase by $1 per month, along with a 2.4% increase to the wastewater base monthly fee and the stormwater annual fee.
Council also gave initial approval to the $29 million budget for the first year of the 2027-31 capital improvement program. The budget allocates funding to projects that focus on council’s five priorities:
- Neighborhoods and affordable housing
- Recreation, open space and resilience
- Mobility and transportation
- Public safety and engagement
- Economic development
The city plans to increase its annual investment in affordable housing initiatives to $3 million in FY27. A total of $1.7 million in state and local accommodations tax funding will be used to develop workforce housing. The city’s funding allocation for homeless support services managed by Greenville Together will also increase to $750,000.
Approximately $9.5 million will support various recreation, open space and resilience projects. The budget includes $1 million to create the city’s new wheelsports park next to the Greenville Downtown Airport. An additional $1 million will go towards the acquisition of open space within the city limits. The city also budgeted funding for sewer basin rehabilitation, stream restoration and the stabilization of Falls Park.
Funding has been set aside in the capital budget for road resurfacing and sidewalk construction projects within the city. A new $1.75 million line item will fund various engineering infrastructure projects. Specific projects related to the Prisma Health Swamp Rabbit Trail are also outlined in the budget, including:
- Airport Loop Trail: $500,000
- SRT Zoo Trail: $500,000
- SRT Restroom – Humane Society Trail: $264,000
- SRT Bridges: $250,000
The Greenville Police Department is expected to receive more than $1 million to create a real-time crime center at the Greenville Public Safety Campus on Halton Road. The capital budget also includes funding to upgrade the department’s firing range and replace public safety equipment, budgeting $1.26 million for new police body cameras.
Several economic development projects and initiatives will receive funding from the capital budget, including $1.25 million for parking garage rehabilitation. Funding has also been set aside for the city’s facade improvement programs for storefronts in downtown Greenville and along commercial corridors.
Additional meeting items
- Council approved the first reading of an ordinance to appropriate $400,000 towards the purchase and installation of modular public restrooms that will be open for 24 hours, seven days a week. This project was one of the requirements for the future enactment of the city’s anti-camping ordinance.
- Council gave initial approval to amend the definition of the central business district within the city’s code of ordinances. The proposed amendment will provide a consistent boundary for the central business district in the code.
- Council gave initial approval to two easement agreements with Greenville Water System for the installation and maintenance of a new water line 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 final reading of an ordinance to appropriate $372,960 from the South Carolina Infrastructure Investment Program for the South Downtown Sewer Improvement project.
- Council gave final approval to an annexation application for 0.63 acres on Redland Way. The property will be zoned House C District (RH-C) in the city.
- Council approved the final reading of an ordinance to abandon a portion of the public right-of-way on Wilton Street for the proposed improvement project on Ashley Avenue.
- Council gave final approval to revert to only having a single public comment period during City Council meetings.
