ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – Rock Hill City Mayor, John Gettys has responded to the Rock Hill School District’s lawsuit against the city.
In a release, the city says it has met all obligations required under the agreement with the School District, an agreement that has already resulted in the City providing over $6,000,000 in costs savings for the School District since 2020.
This comes after Rock Hill Schools announced the lawsuit earlier this week claiming the city has not kept up their end of an agreement signed in 2020. In the agreement, the district forfeited 85 million dollars in property taxes to help with the “downtown TIF”, they hoped in return would benefit their students, but the district says promises have yet to come to light, according to school leaders.
Chair for the Rock Hill School District Board, Helena Miller says the district and the city have historically partnered together in several Tax Incremental Financing Plans, also known as TIFS.
In 2019 Miller says the city approached the district asking for additional money to help with what is known as the “Downtown TIF”, helping to develop the Knowledge Park area.
The district gave 85 million dollars of tax income from the Knowledge Park area over a thirty-year time period in exchange for a series of agreed-upon terms, Miller says.
For example, Miller says one was for an educational space in Knowledge Park.
Another was to help with rezoning of the former Edgewood school property the district hopes to sell to a developer to bring in affordable housing and a third term involved trying to improve their electricity rates, which the district claims the city has fraudulently overcharged the district for utilities for the sum of $23 million dollars.
The city of Rock Hill goes on to say in its response, “we are disappointed with the current dispute and have made every reasonable effort to work with the School District – as we have always done in the past. Regrettably, the School District has chosen this aggressive, confrontational tactic to bully the City and extract terms more favorable for the School District than the terms provided in the parties’ written and executed agreement. ”
Miller says, the school district can be a partner in economic development when it benefits our students, but our only mission is to educate our students; the District’s goal is not being the financial mechanism for the City’s development projects. We are disappointed in the lack of follow-through from the City of Rock Hill, and are forced to take this step in order to protect the educational future of our students.”
Below is the official release from the City of Rock Hill.
“The City of Rock Hill and the Rock Hill School District No 3 have enjoyed a long history of cooperation and mutual assistance to benefit their common taxpayers and serve the children of Rock Hill. Our children are our primary mission and should be the focus of every decision we make. The leadership of the School District has clearly lost its focus with regard to this mission.
This dispute stems from agreements related to the critical textile corridor revitalization project, which has been a resounding success for the citizens of Rock Hill. The City has met all obligations required under this agreement with the School District – an agreement that has already resulted in the City providing over $6,000,000 in costs savings for the School District since 2020 .
We are disappointed with the current dispute and have made every reasonable effort to work with the School District – as we have always done in the past. Regrettably, the School District has chosen this aggressive, confrontational tactic to bully the City and extract terms more favorable for the School District than the terms provided in the parties’ written and executed agreement.
The School District’s complaint against the City is without merit and the City will address the legal merits in that forum.
The City does not believe in addressing, through a public back-and-forth, its differences with another party.”
Rock Hill School District files lawsuit against City of Rock Hill
