Town of James Island

The Town of James Island has been disbanded.

If you need help, please contact Charleston County (www.charlestoncounty.org).

• Office locations: http://charlestoncounty.org/maps/locate.htm
• Departments, services: http://charlestoncounty.org/departments/
• Phone directory: http://charlestoncounty.org/PhoneDir.htm
• Permits, licensing: http://charlestoncounty.org/Info/permits_licensing.htm
• Public Works service request form: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/PublicWorks/publicWorkServiceRequest.asp

James Island’s County Council representatives are Joe Qualey in District 9 and Anna Johnson in District 8.

This website remains online as a repository of information about the town.  You can use it to find old codes, agendas, ordinances, and more.

James Island Residents May Contact County for Service Needs
Charleston County Government assumes responsibility for town residents

Effective immediately, Charleston County Government will assume responsibility for all services previously provided to Town of James Island residents.

Residents may call the County for needs formerly performed by the Town, such as building permits, planning and zoning issues, public works requests (roads, ditches, etc.), business license applications, etc. Town employees are still working at the James Island Town Hall located at 1238 Camp Road, and can help direct the public to the County if anyone has questions or service requests.

“Charleston County Council wants residents to know that services will not be interrupted during this transitional period,” said Teddie E. Pryor, Sr., Charleston County Council Chairman. “I will reiterate what we said in a June 20, 2011 statement, which is that Council promises the citizens that the County will deliver all necessary services to the people of James Island throughout this process.”

The two County Council members who represent the James Island area and who are available for citizens who have any questions are Anna Johnson and Joe Qualey.

“Ms. Johnson and Mr. Qualey were involved in keeping the Town’s employees in place to assist the County during this transition,” Pryor said.

How to Contact Charleston County Government:
•Website: www.charlestoncounty.org
•Office locations: http://charlestoncounty.org/maps/locate.htm
•Departments and services (see drop-down menu): http://charlestoncounty.org/departments/index.htm
•Phone directory: http://charlestoncounty.org/PhoneDir.htm
•Permits and licensing: http://charlestoncounty.org/Info/permits_licensing.htm
•Public Works service request form: http://www.charlestoncounty.org/departments/PublicWorks/publicWorkServiceRequest.asp
•Charleston County Council: http://charlestoncounty.org/departments/Council/index.htm
•County news: http://charlestoncounty.org/News/index.htm

Corine Altenhein, Finance Director of Charleston County, visited Town Hall yesterday, along with her supervisor, Assistant County Administrator, Keith Bustraan.     Today, or soon after, the County will take over the Town’s bank accounts.   They asked Town Administrator, Hal Mason, for information about the Town, especially financial information.

The staff was told to continue to show up for work, and Town Hall remains open.

Continue to contact Town Hall for service needs, and the staff will be working with their counterparts at the County.  Perhaps it would be better to say that what was the Town’s staff is now working for the County out of what was the Town Hall.     Regardless, they will continue to make sure that you receive the services you need.

Until the Town is reincorporated, there will be no further Town Council meetings or meetings of official Town bodies such as the Planning Commission or Board of Zoning Appeals.

Charleston Circuit Court Judge Young has appointed Corine Altenhein, Charleston County’s Finance Director, to serve as receiver for the Town of James Island.    The Town Administrator, Hal Mason contacted the County Administrator, Allen O’Neal soon after, and then chatted with the our receiver.

We anticipate a visit from her in the next few days and understand that she will then develop a plan for dissolving the Town.   Please continue to contact Town Hall with service needs, and you will be given direction as changing conditions warrant.

Judge Young will hold a hearing today at 2:00 on appointing Charleston County to be receiver for the Town of James Island.    The hearing will be in Courtroom 3A, Charleston County Courthouse, 100 Broad Street, Charleston, SC.

Continue to call Town Hall about any service needs–public works, building inspections, code enforcement, or zoning.    The Town will coordinate with the County.

It is likely that this will change soon.    Watch for further notification.

The City of Charleston has petitioned the court to appoint Charleston County as a receiver to dissolve the Town of James Island.    The petition calls for the County to develop a plan for court approval regarding the use of Town resources (approximately $1.6 million) to complete projects in the Town or else divide funds among other government units (including the City of Charleston.)

The motion is here.

Continue to call Town Hall with public works, building service, or zoning issues you may have.   The Town’s staff is working with Charleston County to provide a smooth transition.

Last week, I met with Teddy Pryor, the Chairman of Charleston County Council.   We will work together to allow for a smooth transition to the provision of services by Charleston County.    When Judge Maddox officially orders the dissolution of the Town, we will all become unincorporated Charleston County again.

If you have pending business with the Town, we will help you with this transition as much as we can.    Call the Town Hall at 762-7744.

The Supreme Court refused our petition for rehearing.

We will need to go through the process of reincorporation.

The first step will be a petition with signatures equal to 15% of the registered voters.   We should have petitions ready soon.

The second step will be to have a referendum.   We should be ready for teh referendum in a matter of months.

Reincorporation requires that the majority voting in the referendum support the Town of James Island.

The final step will be to elect a Mayor and Council.   This will occur soon after the referendum.

When Mayor Joe Riley sent letters to citizens of the Town of James Island asking them to annex into the City of Charleston, he said that residents of the City pay less than nonresidents on their water and sewer bills.    This was, at best, a half truth.   (About a 1/3truth really, and I would think that all Citadel grads would remember the meaning of quibble.)

Mayor Riley was implying that by annexing to the City, it would be possible to lower the sewer and water bill.     However, James Islanders have all heard the stories of long time residents who bought a new house in one of the City sections of James Island.   They always gripe about their sky high water bill.

What is the solution to this mystery?

Citizens of the Town of James Island receive water from the Charleston Water System, which belongs to the City of Charleston.   However, we receive waste water services from the James Island Public Service District.    It is true that the City of Charleston’s water system charges nonresidents more for both water and sewer, but citzens of the Town of James Island don’t get sewer services from the City of Charleston.   The James Island Public District charges less for wastewater than the City charges its own residents.

(These two billing systems are not directly comparable because the JIPSD charges its base rate and then charges for each CfC of wastewater, while the City of Charleston includes the first two CfC’s as part of the base rate.    For the average household, using 7 CfC’s, the JIPSD comes out much less.)

To further complicate matters, the City of Charleston uses the Charleston Water System to collect its storm water utility, while the Town of James Island (and unincorporated Charleston County) collects a storm water utility on the property tax.     The City of Charleston charges about double.

So, if the Town of James Island is forced to close for a time, citizens of the Town will be in unincorporated Charleston County.   There will be no change in water, sewer or storm sewer rates.    The water bills will be the same–the rates the City of Charleston charges to nonresidents.    The sewer rates will be the same, the charges by the James Island P.S.D.   And the storm sewer rates will be the same, going to the County exactly as before, though it won’t say “Town of James Island” storm water utility on the property tax bill.

If someone chooses to annex into the City of Charleston, they will see their Charleston Water System bill skyrocket.   While the water portion will decrease, the sewer will show up on the bill, and it will be higher than the JIPSD bill.   And a storm water utility will also appear water bill, which will be more than the amount that will no longer show up on the property tax.

What will the end result be?    Not the savings implied by Mayor Riley.

The Town of James Island participates in the Charleston County Storm Water management system.    Like people in the unincorporated areas of Charleston County, a $36 charge is placed on property tax bills each year to fund this program.    This charge is a charge by the Town of James Island, but the money goes straight to Charleston county.

The City of Charleston also charges its residents for its own Storm Water program.   Their charges are twice as high. This is easy to understand.   Everyone knows that when it rains, there are serious problems with flooding on the peninsula.   The City of Charleston needs the money. (City Storm Water Utility fees show up on their Charleston Water System bills.)

If the Town is closed down for a time, citizens of the Town will become residents of unincorporated Charleston County.   They will pay the same $36 storm water fee as before and remain in the Charleston County storm water system.    (Anyone who annexes into the City of Charleston must pay the increased fee.)

All local governments must provide a storm water management system because of Federal regulations.    The purpose is to control pollution from runoff.   For the Town, this is mostly runoff from our drainage ditches to the surrounding salt marsh.

The program provides other benefits to the Town.   The County Storm water management program has mapped all the drainage ditches in the Town, a tool frequently used by the Town’s public works coordinator.    They are also developing a system for reporting on needed maintenance of the ditches, which we plan to use for maintenance planning over the next year.   Further, a portion of the money collected from the Storm Water Utility has already been used to clear drainage ditches in the Town.