Chester County Council gives first reading to plan using excess sales-tax funds for jail and law-enforcement complex
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Summary
County Administrator Hester sought authority to use excess capital-project sales tax (CPST) funds for mandatory detention-center security upgrades, certain Rodman Soccer Complex work and to bank leftover fee-in-lieu revenue toward a new law-enforcement center; council approved the ordinance's first reading after debate about transparency and project breakdowns.
Chester County Council on first reading approved an amendment to existing capital-project sales-tax (CPST) ordinances that would allow the county to use excess CPST collections for three purposes: immediate detention-center security upgrades, pre-approved Rodman Soccer Complex improvements, and to reserve leftover fee-in-lieu and excess CPST revenue to seed a proposed county law-enforcement center complex.
Administrator Hester told council the county currently has an "unencumbered, excess balance currently of $1,110,000.00" and asked for authority to allocate up to $90,000 for mandatory access-control and security work identified in the South Carolina Department of Corrections inspection. "These are mandatory corrections that we have to make to stay in compliance," Hester said. He also said any additional necessary amounts slightly above that figure could be covered from the same excess fund as needed.
The ordinance would also let the county bank leftover CPST and fee-in-lieu receipts after listed projects are finished and use that money toward a consolidated law-enforcement complex that could include sheriff administration offices, a new county detention center and magistrate facilities. Hester said council is engaging an architect and hopes to start construction as soon as 2028; the intent is to reduce future bonding needs by building a reserve now.
Councilmembers pressed Hester for clearer, written project breakdowns. Councilman Agee said residents deserve a simple line-item list of what the county intends to spend these funds on, "in black and white," and asked that proposed projects be listed as A, B, C, etc., with expected amounts. Hester agreed that specific dollar assignments for larger future projects would come back to council during budget cycles and that council would have final approval when the fee-in-lieu stream is realized.
Some members questioned whether the county should lower ad valorem taxes rather than dedicate CPST excesses to capital projects. Hester responded that local tax-policy comparisons with neighboring counties are not directly comparable and noted that Chester County had kept taxes level this cycle while funding services and infrastructure.
The ordinance passed on first reading; council will consider further detail and dollar allocations in subsequent proceedings and budget reviews.