Berkeley County council adopts ‘worst‑first’ rule for 1¢ sales‑tax resurfacing packages

Berkeley County Council's operations committee voted to adopt a "worst‑first" approach to selecting roads for the county's 1¢ sales‑tax local resurfacing packages for the 2025 and 2026 cycles.

The decision came after a presentation by a county staff member detailing two methods for distributing resurfacing funds: equal funding across council districts and a condition‑based “worst‑first” prioritization. Staff said the equal‑distribution scenario would resurface 164 roads in the 2025–26 package (including 37 roads currently rated "fair") while the worst‑first approach would resurface 172 roads and would prioritize 54 additional roads rated "poor," eliminating resurfacing of fair roads during the same period.

Staff said the pavement management plan used in the analysis considers only county and city roads, assumes a fixed amount of funding for resurfacing, relies on road performance predictions and projected construction costs, and excludes future state CTC work. Under the plan assumptions presented, staff said the equal‑funding approach would allow all currently rated poor roads to be resurfaced by the completion of the 2030 package; the worst‑first approach would resurface all poor roads by completion of the 2027 package.

During discussion, council members asked staff to clarify program assumptions and warned that changes in construction costs or available funding could leave a small number of roads (staff estimated approximately four) unaddressed by 2030 under the equal‑distribution scenario. Staff told council that if assumptions change — for example, if construction costs increase or available sales‑tax revenues decrease — the projected schedules would be affected.

A council member moved to adopt the worst‑first approach; the motion was seconded and approved by voice vote. After the vote, staff said the list of specific roads for the '25/'26 package would be brought back to council next month for approval.

Council and staff framed the vote as a program‑level policy decision about prioritization methodology rather than a decision that selects specific roads; the final lists and contract awards will follow subsequent committee and council actions.

The resurfacing program that staff discussed was described as part of the county’s 1¢ sales‑tax local resurfacing program approved in the county’s 2022 referendum. Staff reiterated the program’s scope is limited to county and city roads for purposes of the pavement management plan.