Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Transportation Sales Tax topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Charleston County council directs 60‑day analysis of transportation sales tax program
Summary
After a multi‑hour briefing from consultants and county staff, the council voted to direct staff to produce analysis and data within 60 days on a consultant‑recommended program for rebuilding public trust and planning any future transportation sales tax referendum.
County Council on Nov. 6 voted to direct staff to move forward with a two‑phase public engagement program for the county's transportation sales tax and to return to council with analysis and data within 60 days.
Ryan Brown, a strategic communications consultant with Chernoff Newman, said the firm's approach begins with transparency: "Phase 1 is about building trust and improving awareness [of] existing transportation sales tax program," he told the council, describing plans to document past investments, publish clear project information and hold town halls.
Why it matters: The county's existing transportation sales tax funded roads, transit and bike‑ped projects; public confidence in how earlier rounds of funds were spent was raised repeatedly during the discussion. Consultants told council that documenting completed work and explaining timelines and delays would be essential before asking voters to approve any new tax.
What consultants proposed: Brown and his colleague described a two‑phase plan. Phase 1 focuses on documenting and communicating accomplishments, standing up a public website, working with local news media, and holding face‑to‑face and online events so residents can ask questions and see where money has been spent. Brown said Phase 2 would be deployed only if the council chose to place a new referendum on the ballot: "Phase 2 is really only [to] happen if you deem it necessary," he said, describing community engagement, mapping, and voter education tied to a potential ballot measure.
Council and staff input: County staff and councilmembers emphasized project priorities that should guide any future program: safety projects targeted to high‑crash locations, pavement maintenance and intersection improvements, and multimodal investments such as transit and bike‑ped connections. Secretary Emeritus Christy Hall, who led a facilitated discussion, framed the work around strategic guardrails and urged councilmembers to "begin with the end in mind" when identifying what a future package should accomplish.
Concerns and dissent: Several residents and councilmembers cautioned that prior messaging about project timelines and completion had produced distrust. One attendee called prior public claims "lies," and multiple speakers said rebuilding confidence will require clear, verifiable data on project status and timelines.
Council action: A councilmember moved to "direct staff to move forward with the program outlined by our transportation consultants and provide an analysis and data . . . within 60 days." The chair announced, "the ayes have it." No roll‑call tally was provided in the public record.
Next steps: Staff will convene with consultants and internal data teams to produce the 60‑day analysis, including a public documentation of previous investments and recommendations for any further engagement. If council later chooses to pursue a referendum, consultants said all outreach would be conducted in compliance with the ethics act and coordinated with the county attorney's office.
