Beaufort County workshop directs staff to refine plan to finish 2018 sales-tax projects and study a capital sales tax

Beaufort County Council held a workshop on March 18 to review unfinished projects from the county's 2018 sales-tax referendum and to consider options for a new sales-tax referendum in 2026. County staff outlined prioritized, scaled-back lists of projects for the Ladies Island corridor and for the county pathways program and asked for council direction on next steps, including establishing a citizen commission and producing visual materials and cost estimates for public outreach.

The workshop matters because it set the county's near-term approach to roughly $58 million staff said is available to complete remaining 2018-referendum projects and because council members signaled preference to pursue a capital-projects sales tax — a broader revenue tool that can fund buildings, parks and infrastructure — rather than narrower, transportation-only measures.

County staff summarized the finances and recommended priorities. Jared Bodd, county staff, said the county originally collected about $146.5 million under the 2018 referendum and has spent roughly $31 million, leaving multiple project pots and about $11 million in unobligated funds. He told the council that, after accounting for the Ladies Island corridor and pathways allocations, staff currently estimates about $58 million is available to apply to the remaining projects.

Staff proposed right-sizing the Ladies Island corridor work to focus on a short list of safety and…