Charleston County is asking residents for input on whether to extend the countys local transportation sales tax, which began in 2004 and is set to end in 2027, Eric Adams, Charleston County public works director, said on the Charleston County Connects podcast.

Adams said County Council has "tasked us with a really robust approach for public input" and that staff are holding what he called "listening sessions" that began with outreach to municipalities so county staff can "come to you, the municipality, and the citizen." He said the goal is to gather preferences that could shape the design of a potential referendum.

The countys sales tax program has funded a range of capital projects, Adams said, naming the Ranthenau Bridge, Johnny Dodds, and Clint McConnell Parkway among projects partially funded by the measure. He also highlighted the Lowcountry Rapid Transit project, which he described as "one of the very, transformative projects for the region" and said the sales tax funds design work with CARTA. Adams listed additional projects including Beasbury Road widening; Camp Road at Folly Road on James Island; Harborview Road on James Island; and downtown improvements.

Adams described a funding context in which many county projects sit on the state Department of Transportation system and the state relies heavily on gas tax revenue. "Their primary source of funding is the gas tax," he said, and added that because vehicles are more fuel-efficient the revenue from gasoline consumption is lower than in the past. He also said South Carolina has the fourth-largest highway system in the nation, which affects DOT priorities.

Adams said the local option sales tax gives citizens a direct choice to fund improvements that may not be top priorities for the state. He clarified that any referendum the county pursues would be intended as a seamless extension of the existing tax rather than the addition of a separate new levy: "So this would be a seamless transition is the idea," Adams said.

Adams recounted the original program terms: it began in 2004 and was structured as "25 years or $1,300,000,000 in revenue, whichever came first." He said the revenue endpoint may be reached earlier than 25 years, which allows an earlier reassessment of needs.

The county has released a public survey that asks respondents to allocate priorities across investment categories. Adams described the surveys interactive feature: respondents can adjust allocations out of a hypothetical $100 to express how they would prioritize funds among categories such as the Greenbelt program, transit, bike and pedestrian improvements, and roadway infrastructure. He noted the Greenbelt program has protected "some 26,000 plus acres."

Staff are asking municipalities to submit input via letter and citizens to complete the survey by Dec. 1 so staff can compile and evaluate responses and present a summary to County Council in January. Adams said County Council has formed a special ad hoc committee to provide public time and focused attention to developing the plan, and that the results will be available in a public document.

Adams said the survey is accessible via a QR code and the county website; the podcast episode description will include links. He encouraged residents to attend meetings, ask questions and complete the survey because "the public input will be conveyed to county council, and that will shape potentially shape how how this plan is gonna be put together."

Adams and the host closed the episode with brief personal remarks.