Richland County Council approves bond issuance, development agreements and county settlements; multiple land and appointment items decided

Richland County Council on July 15 approved a series of motions including authority to issue up to $70 million in general obligation bonds, a public infrastructure credit agreement for the I‑77 Corridor Regional Industrial Park, and county participation in a proposed nationwide settlement with Purdue and certain Sackler affiliates related to opioid claims.

The council also approved local administrative actions including the sale of five wetland mitigation credits, execution of a cooperative agreement to permit the Town of Blythewood to participate in HUD urban county programs for fiscal years 2026–2028, several real‑estate deeds, and an appointment to the Department of Animal Services. Several conservation‑easement items were debated and were either denied or deferred as recorded in the meeting minutes.

Why this matters: the bond authorization and related infrastructure actions allow the county to fund capital projects; the opioid settlement participation is a county decision to join a larger national effort addressing alleged misconduct by certain manufacturers. Property sales, credit sales and cooperative agreements have immediate local budget and land‑use implications.

Key actions and outcomes

- Bond authorization (ordinance authorizing general obligation bonds up to…