The town gets many of our capital improvement projects started and completed by creating different tax districts in our town. One of these is creating a TIF (Tax Increment Financing) district. 

Town Council discussed and approved a recent bond to get the funding for many of the projects that are on our to-do list. 

If you have questions on this or other financial questions you can call or check our website for more information. You will also see a bit more about a recent award our financial department received.

On Oct. 13, the Town of Bluffton closed on its new Tax Increment Financing (TIF) Bond, totaling $9,800,000. In total, five bids were received with the lowest having a rate of 3.433% – which is terrific in our current market. 

Having these funds provides the town the ability to accelerate some of its larger and much-anticipated projects for our community to soon enjoy.  

The main project identified is the New Riverside Barn Park, located near the Hwy. 170 circle. The park will include a renovated barn as an event space, with plenty of parking, trails, open fields for community events, site furnishings, and a destination playground.

The park will feature good lighting, professional landscaping, and safety cameras.  

In addition, the town has identified the Squire Pope Carriage House and the Sarah Riley Hooks Cottage for use of these funds. 

These projects are integral to providing our citizens with more recreational opportunities and public community amenities. 

The Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA) named the Town of Bluffton as a 2020 Triple Crown winner in September. The Triple Crown is a designation for governments who have received the Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting, Popular Annual Financial Reporting Award, and the Distinguished Budget Presentation Award.

The GFOA represents public finance officials throughout the United States and Canada with more than 20,000 members. 

The Town of Bluffton is honored to have received this special designation that only 317 governments attained for fiscal year 2020.

Lisa Sulka is the mayor of the Town of Bluffton. lsulka@townofbluffton.com