In Simpsonville a proposed zoning ordinance change TX-2024-01, Misc. Refinements to the Zoning Ordinance, was introduced by Councilman Chad O’Rear. Because it was a zoning ordinance it had to be read and voted on by the Simpsonville Planning Commission. The existing ordinance requires five councilmember votes to overturn a Planning Commission recommendation. The refinement was introduced to require only a simple majority of Council to overturn a recommendation. The Planning Commission met on April 11th and voted unanimously to reject TX-2024-01, Misc. Refinements to the Zoning Ordinance thus keeping the five votes requirement. At the Meeting of the Whole Council meeting on April 23rd the ordinance refinement was debated by Council and was passed unanimously to move it to the next business meeting in May. Even though the current zoning ordinance requires the five votes to overturn a recommendation it only requires a simple majority by Council to adopt the ordinance change as introduced. 

Council also received the FY 2025 budget and was introduced at the April 23rd meeting. This will be further discussed in the coming weeks. The new City Hall, Police and Fire departments and municipal court buildings are on tract to be open and operational by the fall of this year. ●