[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6089313,"mediaKeyId","2874739-af18426d769efdcf00237a8eeb452725","parentId",2874739,"title","Lake City community center operating in deficit; staff propose new management, programming and partnerships","audioSeconds",796,"startMs",330000,"endMs",1126000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2874739-af18426d769efdcf00237a8eeb452725&start=330&end=1126","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2874739-af18426d769efdcf00237a8eeb452725/thumbnail_330000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6089313/Lake-City/Florence-County/South-Carolina/Lake-City-community-center-operating-in-deficit-staff-propose-new-management-programming-and-partnerships","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6089313-884841589a3633d4bd7dc2df6fd7fb0e/orig.mp4?Expires=1770433633&Signature=IQjlw~gzSJ8a9qUKeVrDd6VuEfHF9-kvJtIr5pA6kZ7BtLDqNw6~tiavQOVzOAs4-bjBGTqKqq2KOTPro9PVW5hngZJQ~tC-ZTvWJkZbMRtE9l31E4Nh6bo~JKzPRvAjq212eNW3LapsEpVLJE7fhDKRkitg7eDCCnzQrwaG442gqJvrSnC8VdBejD777677ylLqifEepLfVWql9FXtWxV7jKntSwaT-InMlNKrR1Ch7YVjry3JN~7mC8BdVgarhyIPfxWdwSr~CfScZCP4rSpU7kx6yrTe-skgECb5UZu1rE5emvZOObC0l5fnlzEwCy9s-8qGUD-jNxfebNFAt8g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","City of Lake City SC","date","2025-03-29T00:00:00Z","article","Annie Nelson, who oversees the city community center, told a Lake City budget workshop the facility has generated deposits and reservations but operating expenses currently exceed revenues and that staff plan to hand day‑to‑day management to recreation staff next fiscal year.

Nelson said the center brought in about $15,000 in deposits from September through the most recent reporting period; those receipts primarily represent 50% deposits required to hold a room. She described a standard deposit/refund contract: customers pay a 50% deposit to reserve a date, the remaining balance is due 30 days before an event, and the contract states that refunds given less than 30 days before an event are forfeited.

Brandon Carter said the city is \"in a red\" overall on the center and that the facility is about $75,000 in the hole after several months of operation. Carter said the multipurpose project originally envisioned with county penny‑sales‑tax funds (about $3.5 million allocated for recreation upgrades) was intended to include a gym or multipurpose structure on Blandon Street, and he and other staff said funding for an additional multipurpose facility is currently frozen at the federal level and would likely require restarting advocacy.

Nelson and other staff detailed how the center is now being used: private events, committee meetings, banquets and cultural events; Nelson said she routinely provides tours and that demand is growing, with bookings into 2026. She described the facility's room structure (Sapphire Ballroom, Larva Room and three smaller rooms) and said revenues to date are a combination of completed events and pending deposits.

City staff described operational changes: Nelson, along with two staff members identified as Cynthia and another recreation staffer (Izzard/Isar), will assume management responsibilities for programs and revenue generation beginning next fiscal year. Staff discussed new programming ideas (movie nights, etiquette classes, summer and seasonal programs, senior‑focused events) and partnerships with local organizations (Chamber of Commerce, Black Chamber, Greater Lake City Alliance) to broaden usage and sponsorships.

During public discussion Council members and staff also reiterated that the center was not intended originally as a full gym for competitive youth sports; multiple speakers said a gymnasium and larger recreation facility had been planned for Blandon Street under earlier proposals and that some elements were altered during prior administrations. Several council members urged examining Blandon Street as the more appropriate site for a larger recreation complex.

No formal decision was taken to sell the building; Carter said selling the facility remains an option if council directs it, but staff emphasized they prefer trying revenue, programming and partnership strategies first. Council and staff scheduled follow‑up work to provide more detailed monthly operating costs, final deposit balances, and to present a plan tying programming to projected revenues before any disposition decision.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","City Council Budget Workshop 03/29/25","oneSentenceSummary","Annie Nelson, who oversees Lake City's community center, said the facility has reservations and deposits but is operating at a loss; staff plan to shift daily management to recreation personnel and pursue programming and partnerships to raise revenue.","taxTitle","Lake City, Florence County, South Carolina","taxId",71094,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6089318,"Lake City finance director warns of cash‑flow shortfall, proposes bond and tax options",2801,105000,2906000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2874739-af18426d769efdcf00237a8eeb452725&start=105&end=2906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2874739-af18426d769efdcf00237a8eeb452725/thumbnail_105000.jpg","/articles/6089318/Lake-City/Florence-County/South-Carolina/Lake-City-finance-director-warns-of-cashflow-shortfall-proposes-bond-and-tax-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6089318-de8fd7af0053211d8bffc5b4d19f9435/orig.mp4?Expires=1770433633&Signature=BL7vZfh9gXxpA8PV85BShBB0pZ3-y5vChKexfmqLrWa3uMXcgXXetIQJHc9Dnu1-ABehdQyBn2GOQNBIZm-KOu3ppLxrkuuFohcpi8nGssDGlj93yylu-j2kBkvlj9FhD6cyTk6oa1ylhH0toz6DzfnUE-BG9vf3mmA17-mBFhRJIzK-dKc6AR0uxzKu5kX97xVqwfR4ar~5aPkcjs0SBrc~HxrMUlOFwvYlnx7XL1gPGKaZHyU8qirIRRRv~bbBaFc-hzYbfi5CBwEwSR-F~xc9DBkLfPyR6F5YHkOgiRrmq9cYp-AAQi3KowRZRdtrV8Hl~zbw3cKYuaFbH75y0g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Brandon Carter, Lake City finance director, told a budget workshop the city faces an immediate cash‑flow problem and is considering options including a bond and targeted tax changes to shore up finances.

Carter said the proposed fiscal 2025–26 budget is about \"95% complete\" and that staff have received five bids for a planned forensic audit. He said the central problem is cash flow rather than overall spending levels and that he will work with the incoming interim city manager to present detailed financials to council.

The finance director said he met individually with department heads and that employee raises are included in the draft budget; public‑safety raises will be distributed based on performance evaluations by the chiefs and command staff. Carter also said the city is addressing staff retention in public works and maintenance by proposing higher starting pay and targeted raises.

Carter identified the city's main operating bank as First Citizens, said Regions holds bonds and trust accounts, and that the municipality currently maintains multiple restricted accounts (hospitality tax, reserves, etc.) alongside a single operating account. He said there are about 10–11 active city credit cards held by department heads and that the cards are currently secured in the finance office while the administration decides next steps.

Luke, a city staff member who provided a numerical breakdown during the meeting, calculated that switching the city's employee insurance pool reduced annual premium exposure: an $800 per‑head monthly cost for the larger pool was lowered to $7.10 per employee in the revised plan, which Carter and Luke said yields roughly $10,800 in monthly savings (about six figures annually) for the larger employee base the city uses in its calculations.

Carter gave conservative revenue projections: he said staff now project roughly $10.9 million in general‑fund revenue for 2025–26, up from an earlier $10.4 million estimate, and a headcount of about 20 full‑time employees. He said last year the city budgeted about $17.7 million and that his draft shows about $16.8 million for 2025–26 after accounting for capital needs, the forensic audit, and other adjustments.

On remedies, Carter said annexation and other revenue measures will be explored and that pursuing a bond is being discussed as a way to provide breathing room; he framed a possible tax adjustment as a tool needed to secure bond approval. He said final choices and any tax proposal would come through the city administrator and require council action.

Several department heads raised operational considerations. Chief Miles (police) noted that vehicles proposed for sale cannot be disposed of unless replacements are provided, and staff discussed a citywide fleet lease option as a way to smooth vehicle replacement and maintenance costs. Public works staff said the city has lost multiple employees to higher pay outside the city and that competitive starting salaries will be necessary to retain operators.

Carter closed by saying he will present the forensic‑audit bid spreadsheet to the mayor, who will bring it to council, and that he will work with the interim manager to provide the full set of actuals and cash‑flow scenarios for a follow‑up council discussion. There was no formal vote at the workshop.

","At a Lake City budget workshop finance director Brandon Carter outlined a cash‑flow shortfall, proposed seeking a bond and possible tax changes, and said a forensic audit procurement is underway; no formal votes were taken.","actionData","errors"]

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Lake City community center operating in deficit; staff propose new management, programming and partnerships

Lake City finance director warns of cash‑flow shortfall, proposes bond and tax options