Mayor Presents a Positive Outlook in the State of the City

It was standing-room only at DunBurks Premier Events in downtown Easley for the 2012 State of the City address on Thursday.

Mayor Larry Bagwell told the attendees that despite a tough year and a slow economy the city remains strong. The city has lost approximately $500,000 in tax revenue in the last two years but officials were able to decrease the annual budget by nearly $2 million.

"The city of Easley is in great financial shape," Bagwell said. "We still have a surplus of about $4.5 million."

Bagwell reported that the city's population has shown growth of nearly 12 percent since the last census.

Representatives from the city's Municipal Court, Public Works Department, and Parks and Recreation Department each gave brief presentations on the wide array of services that continue to be provided in the city of Easley.

City Administrator Fox Simons gave a presentation on Partners in Pride, a new city initiative to create more green space along Highway 123.

Partners in Pride is project spearheaded by Easley Junior Women's Club President Heidi Roach and President and CEO of Peoples National Bank Andrew Westbrook. The program is being modeled after the Spots of Pride program in Spartanburg County.

"We want to beautify the city," Simons said.

The city has identified eight areas that will serve as a public/private partnership to beautify a main entry point into the city of Easley. Businesses that adopt a site for landscaping and maintenance will be recognized with signs along the roadside.

"Over 50,000 cars a day are going to see their sign," Simons said. "It's advertising and it's marketing for them, we beautify the city, everybody wins."

With the help of General Manager Joel Ledbetter, Easley Combined Utilities will invest $100,000 to install irrigation lines along the median on Highway 123 from Powdersville Road to Rock Springs Road.

"This is a long-range vision here, this isn't going to happen in the next two months," Simons said.

The Junior Women's Club has adopted a site near the Brushy Creek overpass along Highway 123 and Peoples National Bank has adopted a site between the Ingles and Bi-Lo Shopping centers.

The medians will be landscaped with flowers, trees, and various shrubs.

Bagwell also announced that the 8-mile stretch of the Pickens Railroad between Pickens and Easley is currently for sale for $1 million. The cities of Pickens and Easley are hoping the county will consider making the purchase.

"The county is well-off," Bagwell said. "They have about a $25 million surplus according to Senator Martin."

In addition to the Brushy Creek Greenway project, the city hopes the railroad property could be used for another multi-use path that would connect Pickens and Easley.

"It's mind-boggling what we could do with that," Bagwell said.

The city's commercial sector will see more growth in the coming years while the residential sector remains slow.

Easley Town Center will see further growth in 2012 with the addition of Academy Sports and a new Sam's Club store in 2013. There are also plans for new retail stores to be added between Walmart and Kohl's, Bagwell said.

Quick Trip, a convenience store and gas station, will soon begin construction on a new location across from Easley Town Center on the south side of Highway 123.