Regional council outlines 2025 priorities: housing, roads, childcare and a sales-tax debrief

Joe Passerman presented a regional overview to the council, urging the group to focus on a limited set of measurable priorities for 2025. He listed population growth, roads and evacuation routes, economic development, housing affordability, health care services for an aging population, child care, education and environmental concerns as topics the council should address through focused work and coordination.

Passerman suggested the regional body (referred to in the presentation as Soloco/Siloco) serve as a coordinating voice that can bring municipal and county leaders together. "We have to deal with our roads, our bridges, our public transportation, and our ferry services," he said, arguing growth requires targeted, outcome-oriented efforts rather than broad statements of concern.

Board members recommended breaking large themes into specific subcommittees with named leads who will follow up and report back. A member urged the group to name one board contact per subcommittee (for example, childcare and litter) to prevent initiatives from stalling; the chair agreed to solicit volunteers and to circulate a poll for members to rank priorities ahead of the January meeting.

The council scheduled its next meeting for the fourth Tuesday in January in Hardeeville and agreed to hold a February session to debrief the recent county sales-tax referendum and assess whether and how municipalities should engage on any future funding measures.

Several board members emphasized outcomes when choosing priorities: past regional efforts produced a regional housing trust fund and stormwater design standards, and members urged similar concrete goals for health care and transportation work streams. The council did not take formal votes at the meeting; members asked staff to circulate the presentation and a priority poll for 2025.