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Commission discusses legal‑ad publishing requirements and cost concerns
Summary
Staff and commissioners discussed scheduling, advertising and state requirements for public‑hearing notices, including concerns about newspaper publication frequency and the county’s legal‑ad costs.
At the Sept. 15 meeting staff and commissioners discussed requirements for advertising public hearings and how changes in newspaper publication schedules affect legal notices.
Planning staff reminded the commission about an upcoming work session on Sept. 18 and explained procedural differences between work sessions (no required advertising) and items that require public‑hearing advertisement. A staff attorney explained that public hearings must be advertised under state code and that work sessions do not require the same posting.
Commissioners raised concerns about the availability and frequency of qualified newspapers for legal advertisements. One commissioner noted that advertising in newspapers has become more complicated because local papers print less frequently, which can affect statutory advertising schedules. A commission member commented that in Berkeley County taxpayers pay about $300,000 a year for legal ads and characterized that as wasteful spending; staff and counsel said they would flag the issue for future legislative attention and confirmed that county practice is to advertise in a qualified newspaper as required by state law.
No formal policy changes were made Sept. 15; staff said they will continue to follow state advertising requirements and will bring procedural questions back to the commission for future consideration.
