COPE, S.C. — The town of Cope received word that they may no longer be able to maintain status as a town due to lack of population.
South Carolina Secretary of State Mark Hammond sent a letter to the Cope Mayor Janet Joy on October 4th saying the census showed the town’s population fell below fifty. That’s the minimum number of residents for a place to be called a town.
But Joy disputed that and provided the secretary of state with a list that shows it has sixty one residents as part of an appeal letter. So now, the secretary of state’s office is checking with the South Carolina Revenue and Fiscal Affairs office about the addresses provided by the mayor.
Meanwhile, Orangeburg County Administrator Harold Young says if the appeal does not go through, it won’t be a strain on the county.
"Well the fortunate part about it is Cope is not one of our larger towns,” said Young. “So they don't have a whole lot of stuff the county would have to deal with."
Young says millage for property taxes would have to be added to the cope residents and says that taxes for cope residents would have to change if they are found to not be a town.
"As far as the county is concerned,” said Young. “We will still support that community just like we have done all the other seventeen municipalities over the years. it's just that somethings the county would have to take over. If the appeal is not approved then they would lose their ability to tax. So we would have to change the millage rate for the town limits to incorporate that in the county millage and not the town millage."
The Office for the Secretary of State expects the address verification to be completed before the end of the week. If it’s correct, they may get to stay a town after all.