09/01/2026
Here's a valid assessment of what is going on in City of Westminster, SC. A typical constituents opinion that falls on city halls deaf ears!
The mayor, council and administrators solution to the problems they've created is raise utilities and that's just wrong. They need to go away like a bad dream. This little town is literally dying because of their shear idiocy and incompetence. None of them know anything about running a town except into the ground. We, the customer's, have become their personal bank!
Here's our response:
Exactly. Residents and utility customers should not be treated like an unlimited ATM every time City Hall needs more money.
When spending increases, debt piles up, projects cost more than expected, and budgets get tighter, the answer cannot continually be “raise the utility rates.” Leadership has to control spending, prioritize necessities, cut unnecessary expenses, and live within the community’s means.
Higher utility bills hurt families, seniors, renters, homeowners, and small businesses. They also make Westminster a harder place to live, operate a business, and invest.
Utility customers are supposed to be customers—not City Hall’s personal bank.
BEFORE ANOTHER UTILITY INCREASE IS EVEN CONSIDERED, WE SHOULD DEMAND:
• OPEN THE BOOKS — Give the public a clear accounting of the city's current debt, loans, leases, matching obligations, and other long-term financial commitments.
• SHOW US WHERE THE MONEY IS GOING — Explain specifically where every dollar from any proposed utility increase would be spent.
• CUT SPENDING FIRST — Identify unnecessary or postponable spending before asking struggling customers for another dime.
• SHOW THE ALTERNATIVES — Tell the public what options were considered besides raising utility rates and why they were rejected.
• HOLD A PUBLIC MEETING — Present the numbers in plain English, allow residents to ask questions, and provide answers before council votes.
• NO MORE AUTOMATIC RATE HIKES — Utility increases should be a last resort, not City Hall's go-to solution whenever the budget gets tight.
And here's the bottom line: NO MORE UTILITY INCREASES until City Hall provides those answers and demonstrates that every reasonable effort has been made to control spending first.
If the mayor, council, and administration cannot manage the city's finances without continually reaching deeper into the pockets of utility customers, then change the spending, change the priorities—or the voters need to change the leadership.
Charles Morgan for City Council Westminster, SC Community Page
