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Charleston County Council passes fiscal‑year 2026 budget ordinance readings, approves special‑district budgets
Summary
Charleston County Council completed readings of the countywide fiscal‑year 2026 operating ordinance and approved multiple special‑district budgets, with roll‑call ayes recorded for each ordinance reading.
Charleston County Council completed readings of the fiscal‑year 2026 operating budget ordinance and approved special‑purpose district budgets during its Tuesday meeting.
The county ordinance provides appropriations from the general fund and other funds for the fiscal year beginning July 1, 2025, and ending June 30, 2026. The ordinance text as read included provisions authorizing issuance of tax‑anticipation notes of up to $100,000,000 for Charleston County and up to $1,000,000 for the Andan McLellanville Consolidated Fire Protection District. The council recorded nine ayes on the reading and the item passed its reading stage.
Council also read and passed ordinances approving operating budgets for a group of special purpose districts — including the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, Cooper River Park and Playground, the North Charleston District, Saint Andrews Parks and Playgrounds, Saint John’s Fire District and Saint Paul’s Fire District — and authorized tax‑anticipation notes up to specified caps for several of those districts. The roll call reflected nine ayes and the readings passed.
Why it matters: the readings move the county and special districts toward formal adoption of budgets and give the treasurer and auditor direction to levy millage and collect taxes to support operations for fiscal year 2026.
Key details
- The county ordinance provides for levy of taxes for Charleston County and several fire districts and Trident Technical College for FY2026; it authorizes issuance of tax‑anticipation notes up to $100,000,000 for the county and up to $1,000,000 for an identified consolidated fire district. (ordinance text as read)
- The special‑purpose district ordinance authorized tax‑anticipation notes of up to $3,000,000 for the Charleston County Park and Recreation Commission, up to $1,100,000 for the Saint Andrews Parks and Playground Commission, and up to $1,500,000 for the Saint John’s Fire District. (ordinance text as read)
What happened at the meeting
- The county budget ordinance reading was presented and then taken by roll call; the clerk recorded votes and Chairman Middleton announced, “Ordinance passes reading with 9 ayes.”
- The special‑purpose district budgets reading likewise passed with nine ayes on the roll call.
Next steps
- Passing the readings advances the ordinances through the formal adoption process; council will complete subsequent procedural steps required to adopt final budgets and levy millage. The treasurer and auditor will carry out the levy and collection as directed by the adopted ordinances.
