[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6745769,"mediaKeyId","5355161-dc49a664334ee4c1f7bf06e50577f7f0","parentId",5355161,"title","Charleston County reports 41% progress on strategic plan; highway projects delayed","audioSeconds",172,"startMs",1774000,"endMs",1946000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5355161-dc49a664334ee4c1f7bf06e50577f7f0&start=1774&end=1946","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5355161-dc49a664334ee4c1f7bf06e50577f7f0/thumbnail_1774000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6745769/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Charleston-County-reports-41-progress-on-strategic-plan-highway-projects-delayed","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6745769-8cb44c6b90f916c87db5aa7356a9a056/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436873&Signature=LfBIGiLWRXFi2kBj2jdcGKUctvjaqjYvDhdEb2Dio4GsbkivMK0NNe4Us13EuHVizLXzomulOq7CztqXQkxdVi8RIBE1gFvE0alb~Emt~7IESotqYZP5Pew9jtixKLxTB9n5uSbCyr3cSlTQ8vJC-WdhMucbBriCZ0~FxaH557rQD2P78M3AzCb~h-mHBPhEPzMdVKEJzcWVDf1ujM1uykhSBiA4eJY5X9r9v~rY2SkEvO5GzU7ftPSH4BH3gskbYZ9g-6yJRdf2dhni1y5LUPw0ULX6ixAb3G32tqTP8ZWP87MULmwMLa21NtNFxfnWPMmD0aVjEo2lZcDwJ-5RfQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-07-10T17:41:37Z","article","County staff provided a year‑one update on the strategic plan during the Nov. 6 retreat, reporting overall progress ahead of the initial target and new public tracking tools.

Miss Salisbury, presenting the update, said the strategic plan (adopted December 2023 and effective July 2024 through FY2027) reached 41% completion after year one and that the county implemented a live public portal called ClearPlans to track milestones and progress as staff updates each strategy.

Salisbury identified projects with \"major disruptions\" that will prevent earlier targets from being met. The Mark Clark extension project will not meet its original goal after the county unwound the contract. The Highway 41 corridor project has an extended timeline: staff now expect completion toward the end of calendar year 2029 rather than the end of FY2027.

The presentation also noted legislative constraints that affect county authorities. Salisbury referenced a bill introduced in the House to grant counties new authority (reported as not advancing this legislative session): \"It died in committee this legislative year,\" she said, and she encouraged continuing coordination with the South Carolina Association of Counties on that policy priority.

ClearPlans and budgeting integration: Salisbury said staff implemented ClearPlans to provide live public reporting and is working to tie budget object codes to strategic priorities so the public can see what share of the budget supports each priority. That work is substantial and may not be complete by the next fiscal year while a new budget director is onboarded.

Next steps: staff will continue to refine milestones for each strategy on ClearPlans and pursue budget‑to‑priority mapping; councilmembers asked for clearer milestone definitions to reduce subjectivity in progress estimates.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Council Retreat Wednesday, July 9, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","County staff reported 41% completion of the strategic plan's first year and launched ClearPlans, a public tracking portal. Major disruptions include the Mark Clark extension (project unwound) and a delayed Highway 41 completion now expected in late 2029.","taxTitle","Charleston County, South Carolina","taxId",3700,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6745774,"Charleston County council directs 60‑day analysis of transportation sales tax program",7242,2355000,9597000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5355161-dc49a664334ee4c1f7bf06e50577f7f0&start=2355&end=9597","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5355161-dc49a664334ee4c1f7bf06e50577f7f0/thumbnail_2355000.jpg","/articles/6745774/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/Charleston-County-council-directs-60day-analysis-of-transportation-sales-tax-program","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6745774-b48bf1985adb57b315d83cd3fa61e05f/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436873&Signature=gYn~0EI9Slwy8XCSRRPgWvGvA~yegc4-UZ5UXLn3jf9vcsW9p~ITpNTg3WnyxL4blFsPzboU6WF0C5NjqoFn5t-f3gvOLUvjFsET0b4tBcifzD7uregrjw1s-D8r2i2RNCftOYHB0MsaAKhS46AhrkZpp1EE2O3iJmpSRzLe6GgcY914sZzVE7H~H8i06U7bQ8RomjFHItp8fkulBZRPBqTH3RimpAIs7f~41rxWxxxeoGALs4oBOg~KusfEmb31zpxTV6zSzYteuWW7jjIS6uo9MmuUDNnHX8Z~WRzpMe5AqClmR6yhWE3pRD9aMZeR4mPUYeLC8rHwwqTimRybGw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","County Council on Nov. 6 voted to direct staff to move forward with a two‑phase public engagement program for the county's transportation sales tax and to return to council with analysis and data within 60 days.

Ryan Brown, a strategic communications consultant with Chernoff Newman, said the firm's approach begins with transparency: \"Phase 1 is about building trust and improving awareness [of] existing transportation sales tax program,\" he told the council, describing plans to document past investments, publish clear project information and hold town halls.

Why it matters: The county's existing transportation sales tax funded roads, transit and bike‑ped projects; public confidence in how earlier rounds of funds were spent was raised repeatedly during the discussion. Consultants told council that documenting completed work and explaining timelines and delays would be essential before asking voters to approve any new tax.

What consultants proposed: Brown and his colleague described a two‑phase plan. Phase 1 focuses on documenting and communicating accomplishments, standing up a public website, working with local news media, and holding face‑to‑face and online events so residents can ask questions and see where money has been spent. Brown said Phase 2 would be deployed only if the council chose to place a new referendum on the ballot: \"Phase 2 is really only [to] happen if you deem it necessary,\" he said, describing community engagement, mapping, and voter education tied to a potential ballot measure.

Council and staff input: County staff and councilmembers emphasized project priorities that should guide any future program: safety projects targeted to high‑crash locations, pavement maintenance and intersection improvements, and multimodal investments such as transit and bike‑ped connections. Secretary Emeritus Christy Hall, who led a facilitated discussion, framed the work around strategic guardrails and urged councilmembers to \"begin with the end in mind\" when identifying what a future package should accomplish.

Concerns and dissent: Several residents and councilmembers cautioned that prior messaging about project timelines and completion had produced distrust. One attendee called prior public claims \"lies,\" and multiple speakers said rebuilding confidence will require clear, verifiable data on project status and timelines.

Council action: A councilmember moved to \"direct staff to move forward with the program outlined by our transportation consultants and provide an analysis and data . . . within 60 days.\" The chair announced, \"the ayes have it.\" No roll‑call tally was provided in the public record.

Next steps: Staff will convene with consultants and internal data teams to produce the 60‑day analysis, including a public documentation of previous investments and recommendations for any further engagement. If council later chooses to pursue a referendum, consultants said all outreach would be conducted in compliance with the ethics act and coordinated with the county attorney's office.

","After a multi‑hour briefing from consultants and county staff, the council voted to direct staff to produce analysis and data within 60 days on a consultant‑recommended program for rebuilding public trust and planning any future transportation sales tax referendum.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6745764,"County leaders flag recruitment, retention and capital pressures; finance outlines pay and reserve options",2482,9784000,12266000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5355161-dc49a664334ee4c1f7bf06e50577f7f0&start=9784&end=12266","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5355161-dc49a664334ee4c1f7bf06e50577f7f0/thumbnail_9784000.jpg","/articles/6745764/Charleston-County/South-Carolina/County-leaders-flag-recruitment-retention-and-capital-pressures-finance-outlines-pay-and-reserve-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6745764-70b4b218fc2d28e1ad133b4310843733/orig.mp4?Expires=1770436873&Signature=RFef7OnQlwRLmg3QMg98ukRLbutl9SUzBBZy8fqLURe6Yx2ekzTxUC~-Z8zw5Jrr6P6ZND-Kdzow2tLYAh95KYSWh6JkUwDMAs3FWRnwitwvI8ibQTnXQD2tul7~g6p8OVDSGNKW1SCVff9deS1h5jzr8i6MZW9SfYJPCH1h5Ln~p-ndVLV1m2LbECyo9EAtZ8KxigKce2uOig94gnTsXN55MqYcEDuKDZXIh5stkw1BhCIFT6EMvdBwLW71Kpu6vVrSfSbEww7PSjN-QxGvOZnpXzeyLqkfAOOxoZZGJh7Od0kel7Db22wh9Mf7MxELGt4~y20SGMV4CP1Yt4N5AQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Elected officials and department heads used the council retreat to report operational progress and to highlight resource pressures the county is facing.

Auditor: The Charleston County Auditor described the office's large workload, noting the office mails roughly 800,000 tax bills in a typical year, has finished digitizing microfilm, expanded e‑billing and integrated boat and aircraft records more effectively. The auditor said work to identify untaxed watercraft and aircraft produced significant taxable value increases (citing a rise from $28 million in 2022 to $42 million in the most recent year), which the auditor said expands the tax base.

Treasurer: Julie Riley spoke on behalf of the treasurer's office and said the office collected about $1.4 billion in property taxes during the last fiscal year, manages investment activity for county funds and handles large bond payments (the office paid roughly $228 million in bond debt last year).

Criminal justice and courts: Probate and court officials described continued involuntary commitment and guardianship workloads. The solicitor and the chief prosecutor said a data‑driven case screening and triage effort reduced short‑term jail time and saved county funds; the prosecutor described demonstrated savings of about $400,000 from early results and said the program will be evaluated using data and a control group.

Public defender: The public defender's office described heavy caseloads and staffing pressures; the office reported plans to embed a jail attorney to improve triage and connections to behavioral health supports and said the county funded additional positions in the recent budget.

Capital projects and public works: Public Works reported a mix of ongoing capital work (Glen Meadow Parkway, a major interchange) and long lead times for specialized emergency vehicles and remounts; departments described supply‑chain challenges where remounts and vehicle chassis can take many months. Environmental services noted monthly regulatory inspections at the landfill and work to plan new landfill or transfer station capacity.

Finance and human resources: Finance staff briefed council on recruitment and retention challenges. A regional price index shows that Charleston's labor market is stronger than the national average; staff presented options to improve pay competitiveness, including a one‑time employee bonus to be delivered in early November or a millage increase to shore up reserves and raise base pay. As an example, finance staff estimated a modest tax change would amount to roughly $67 annually on a $400,000 house; staff said the county currently has the third‑lowest tax rate among the 10 largest counties in the state.

Next steps: Finance staff said they would continue to provide options for council consideration; department heads will pursue recruiting, retention and equipment strategies, and departments will continue to report progress and capital timelines in follow‑up briefings.","Multiple elected officials and department directors reported staffing shortages, recruitment and retention difficulties, deferred maintenance, and capital project timelines. Finance staff presented short‑term options to address pay competitiveness, including a one‑time bonus or a modest millage change.","actionData","errors"]

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Charleston County reports 41% progress on strategic plan; highway projects delayed

Charleston County council directs 60‑day analysis of transportation sales tax program

County leaders flag recruitment, retention and capital pressures; finance outlines pay and reserve options