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Berkeley County finance committee accepts FY2026 first-quarter report and approves multiple discretionary grants
Summary
The finance committee accepted the county's FY2026 first-quarter financial report, noting revenues roughly $2 million higher than last year, and the council approved a package of discretionary allocations, including food pantry funding and facility upfits.
The Berkeley County Committee on Finance accepted the FY2026 first-quarter financial report and the full council approved a package of discretionary spending on local programs on a voice vote.
Finance staff Alan Milburn, presenting the county report, said the first quarter (through Sept. 30) shows "about $10,000,000 which is about $2,000,000 over what we have last year." He told the committee that most property tax revenues are collected later in the year and that, overall, revenues and expenses were in line with budget expectations.
The committee noted that impact fee collections rose by roughly $1.9 million and represented about 43% of budgeted impact-fee collections, a figure the presenter described as "good" for the first quarter. Chairwoman Amy Stern moved to accept the report "as presented," and the motion carried by voice vote.
The council approved a package of fee-discretionary allocations combined into a single motion. The approved package included up to $97,400 to the Overton Civic Club for facility improvements, $30,000 in total to Feed Berkeley (allocated as $5,000 from each of several council members), up to $15,000 for outreach at the prison medical office, park equipment funding split between the supervisor and a council member, $10,000 for Helping Hands of Goose Creek for pantry needs, and smaller allocations for veterans' flags and other local needs. A funding source correction was later made on the record: the $150,000 for maintenance work at Blessing Plantation was to come from the greenbelt fund rather than the Cypress Gardens fund balance.
Committee motions to approve a December one-time disbursement for county staff and a $35,000 transfer from the general fund to fund balance were also approved. Several other routine budget adjustments and equipment replacements (including insurance proceeds for an EMS vehicle and a replacement dump truck) were authorized.
The committee emphasized that most tax revenue is received later in the fiscal year and that the first-quarter figures should be viewed accordingly. The council adopted the committee's recommendations and carried the associated motions by voice votes. The council will next review supplemental budget items in a future meeting.
