ROCK HILL, S.C. (CN2 NEWS) – York County, the City of Rock Hill, the Rock Hill School District and other business leaders coming together on this Thursday for the 2021 State of the Community Breakfast. This event is hosted by the York County Regional Chamber of Commerce.
Community leaders coming together to discuss the state of Rock Hill’s community. A conversation that kicked off with the review of the 2022 fiscal budget just approved by York’s County Council.
County Chair Christi Cox reviewing the benefits to taxpayers, saying, “Obviously at this time we don’t want to raise any taxes. So, what we have learned is that even over the last year, despite COVID, the increase in the value of the mil property values are going up significantly. In the county as a whole they went up to 2.9% and in incorporated areas 7.6% and so when you take the value of that increase we’re able to fund some of the public health and safety needs that we have in our county.”
More than 1,300 jobs were created in the county this year alone, county leaders say they’re proud of that number and that there is more to come. And as talks of the Carolina Panthers project resurface, city leaders are reassuring residents that the project is still very much underway.
Rock Hill’s Mayor John Gettys saying, “The relationship between the Panthers and the city are very strong. We’re heading towards getting everything tied up and then six months or a year from now, they’ll be another issue and will sit down around the table and we’ll work through it. If anybody’s nervous I would just say this, Mr. and Mrs. Tepper and the Carolina Panthers would not have donated $700,000 to Miracle Park this week if they weren’t committed to Rock Hill and our future.”
Mayor Gettys also speaking about all the city has accomplished together so far, even amid the global pandemic. Accomplishments include new businesses, economic developments, and administering more than 50,000 COVID vaccines.
“When you see big cities like New York and others come to their knees because of this pandemic but the people of Rock Hill step up, puff their chest out and take it home, we’ll be defined by how we handled this pandemic for the rest of our lives,” says Gettys.
And Rock Hill Schools Superintendent, Dr. Bill Cook, presenting on the last school year and reflecting on lessons learned from the COVID pandemic. Some changes will stick moving forward including the use of technology and how it’s being integrated into classrooms.
“You know the technology where it was kind of a nicety to have and we used it for fun or games or those things, we have used it, we embrace it, we’re making opportunities for our students to learn at different times, in different ways,” says Dr. Cook.
Leaders say Rock Hill’s Virtual Academy broke records with 6,700 students signed up and now, more than 1,300 signed up for the next school year. Rock Hill’s leaders say they’re proud of this community’s resilience and we’ll continue moving forward together.
In the video above, CN2’s Rachel Richardson has more on the hot topics facing our area.
