Seneca City Council passes Short Term Rental Ordinance on 6-2 vote
(Seneca, SC)———–Seneca City Council approved on 2nd and final reading last night a short term rental ordinance. Of the two ordinances that were being considered by council, the version that ended up receiving final council approval last night was the ordinance that was known as the 4% ordinance, which limits the ability to rent one’s home short term to property that has a 4% assessment rate from the county, which are considered to be primary residences, which are homes that the homeowner lives in. The ordinance is now in effect.
The vote was 6-2, with Councilmen Dana Moore and Stuart Pohl voting against the ordinance. Council members Al Gaines, Denise Rozman, Joel Ward, Scott Durham, W.C. Honeycutt and Mayor Pro Tem Ronnie O’Kelley voted for the 4% version of the ordinance. Seneca Mayor Dan Alexander was absent from last night’s meeting.
After the meeting last night, O’Kelley said that he was relieved that a conclusion was reached on this issue.
“It is good to have it over. It has been a long, drawn out process, a little over two years,” says O’Kelley. “Its been a hard, emotional time for a lot of people, not only for the public but for this council. Our goal is to make the living in Seneca as pleasant as we possibly can. And I think this council has done a lot of soul searching. They have talked to community people on both sides and just tried to come up with the best solution that we can for our citizens.”
O’Kelley talked about his reasons for voting for the 4% version of the ordinance instead of the 6% version, which would have also allowed those who own homes that are not primary residences to rent short term as well.
“You ask yourself ‘Can you even police it?’” said O’Kelley. “When you have so many short term rentals, is it something you can police? And then you talk to the public and the public just don’t want it. I mean, they were very loud and very vocal and we are elected to serve the people of this town, all people. And like I said, it was not an easy decision. It is a hard job to try to make everyone happy. I just believe that this council made the right decision.”