JASPER COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING MAY 4, 2026 RIDGELAND, SC

JASPER COUNTY NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING MAY 4, 2026 RIDGELAND, SC The County Council of Jasper County (hereinafter the "County Council"), which is the governing body of Jasper County, South Carolina (the "County"), is considering the enactment of an ordinance (the "Consolidation Ordinance") entitled: "AN ORDINANCE OF JASPER COUNTY COUNCIL AMENDING CHAPTER 9 OF THE CODE OF ORDINANCES OF JASPER COUNTY REGARDING FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS TO CREATE THE JASPER COUNTY RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT; ELIMINATING ALL EXISTING FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICTS; AUTHORIZING THE NOVATION OF ALL OUTSTANDING BONDS AND OTHER DEBT OBLIGATIONS TO THE NEW DISTRICT; REQUESTING AND ACCEPTING DEDICATION OF COUNTY-FUNDED FIRE CAPITAL EQUIPMENT AND FACILITIES; AUTHORIZING A FIRE SERVICE CONTRACT BETWEEN THE NEW DISTRICT AND THE CITY OF HARDEEVILLE; AUTHORIZING THE LEASE OF CERTAIN COUNTY REAL PROPERTY; AUTHORIZING THE CONVEYANCE OF CERTAIN PERSONAL PROPERTY; AND OTHER MATTERS RELATING THERETO." As required by Sections 4-19-20 and 4-9-130(6) of the Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended, you are advised that public hearings will be held in the Jasper County Administration Facility (County Council Chambers) located at 358 Third Avenue, Ridgeland, South Carolina, on May 4, 2026 at 6:00 p.m. (or as soon thereafter as time permits) on the questions of the (1) Consolidation (as defined herein), and the (2) the Lease. All interested persons will be given an opportunity to be heard and express their views at the public hearings. A copy of the Consolidation Ordinance is available for review at the County's administrative facility during normal business hours. Comments made during the public hearings shall be limited to three (3) minutes in duration. At the public hearings and any adjournment of them, all interested persons may be heard either in person or by their designee. The following information is provided with respect to Consolidation Ordinance: County Council is empowered pursuant to Title 4, Chapter 19 of the Code of Laws of South Carolina 1976, as amended (the "Enabling Act"), to "[t]o establish, operate, and maintain a system of fire protection" within the County. 2. Pursuant to the Enabling Act, Ordinance No. 09-19 dated July 20, 2009, as amended by Ordinance No. 2019-18 dated July 15, 2019, as amended by Ordinance No. 2022-39 dated March 15, 2023, and as amended by Ordinance No. 23-21 dated January 16, 2024 (collectively, the "Existing Fire District Ordinances"), the County previously established five separate fire service areas within unincorporated areas of the County, to wit: the Cherry Point Fire Protection District ("Cherry Point"), Rural Jasper County Fire Protection District, Levy Fire Protection District, Ridgeland Vicinity Fire Protection District, and Hardeeville Vicinity Fire Protection District (collectively, the "Fire Districts"). 3. County Council seeks to restructure the organization of fire services in the County by establishing the Jasper County Rural Fire Protection District (the "Jasper Fire District") and eliminating all of the Fire Districts (the "Consolidation"). The County Council has determined that the Consolidation will: (a) attract new firefighters; (b) retain existing firefighters; (c) allow for proper training of new and existing firefighters, and the potential to hire full-time firefighters; (d) stabilize service calls and fire station capacity; (e) promote better responsiveness and fire service to taxpayers, residents, and businesses within the County; (f) more effectively and equitably spread the cost of fire services throughout the County; (g) unify and potentially improve ISO ratings throughout the County; (h) ensure County oversight on fire funding; (i) create accountability for contractual fire service providers operating in the County; and ; and (j) promote regional cooperation and joint services with municipal fire service providers in the County. 4. After the Consolidation, the Jasper Fire District shall constitute a single unified fire service area in the County, the service area of which shall consist of the entire incorporated area of the County. 5. The Jasper Fire District will be subject to the terms of the Consolidation Ordinance, the terms of which amend and restate the Existing Fire District Ordinances in their entirety. Particularly, the Consolidation Ordinance provides that the Jasper Fire District will be authorized to (i) levy ad valorem property taxes within its boundaries for operation, maintenance and capital purposes, and (ii) impose rates and charges for operation, maintenance and capital purposes. 6. The Jasper Fire District shall be operated as an administrative division of the County and shall be authorized to issue general obligation bonds, payable from ad valorem taxes levied within its service area, in order to defray the capital costs of providing fire protection services therein. Additionally, and as necessary to fully implement the Consolidation, the existing general obligation bond of Cherry Point shall be assigned and transferred to the Jasper Fire District. 7. As part of the Consolidation, certain of the County's existing fire stations will no longer be used by the County. Instead, the County will lease certain existing fire stations, particularly the Levy Fire Station (Station No. 25) and the Bellinger Hill Fire Station (Station No. 20) to the City of Hardeeville, South Carolina (the "City") for their use during the pendency of Fire and Emergency Service Agreement between the County and the City. COUNTY COUNCIL OF JASPER COUNTY April 12, 19, 26 2026 LGSC0494693