County seeks public input on possible transportation sales tax ahead of 2027 expiration

A Charleston County representative presented an overview of a potential transportation sales tax renewal and sought input from Charleston City Council on Oct. 28.

The presenter said the county’s earlier local option sales taxes, enacted beginning in 2004, funded roughly $4.56 billion in infrastructure commitments over the program periods and leveraged additional state and federal grants. He said the 2004 program is set to expire in 2027 and urged municipalities and residents to provide input by Dec. 1 on priority investment categories — including greenbelt preservation, public transit (including Lowcountry Rapid Transit), pavements and intersection safety — so the county can compile feedback and return to council in January and later decide whether to move toward a referendum in late spring 2026.

Council members asked about project delivery and prioritization, including how the county works with the regional planning agency (BCDDCOG) on level‑of‑service modeling and how bonding versus pay‑as‑you‑go approaches affect timing. The presenter said bonding can jump‑start work but must be timed to avoid idle bond proceeds, and described options for multi‑year flexibility or shorter program durations while retaining the ability to bond for major projects. He said early engagement would also support leveraging state and federal matches.

The county representative encouraged residents to use an online questionnaire (charlestontransportation.com) and attend public briefings over the next two months; the county aims to gather input by Dec. 1 and present a process to county council in early 2026.