Berkeley County Commission adopts flat fiscal 2027 budget, funds firefighters and deputies

The Berkeley County Commission on March 1, 2026, approved its fiscal 2027 budget, maintaining the county's property tax levy at 13.39 and setting general fund spending at $57,210,015. Chair opened the discussion and thanked county staff for preparing revenues and expenditures before putting the plan to a vote.

The commission emphasized that the levy will remain unchanged even as property values rose about 8% year over year. Chair noted that assessed values contributed an additional $2,000,545 in revenue and that total real-estate property tax growth added $562,545,565 in assessed value compared with last year. The adopted general fund total is $57,210,015, with about $190,000 of outside-agency spending paid from coal-severance funds, county staff said.

Why it matters: Commissioners said the flat levy means taxpayers are not being asked for a higher rate even as the county funds new personnel and services. The budget includes funding to hire 12 full-time firefighters to provide 24/7 professional coverage at three stations and the ability to recruit approximately five additional deputies, including insurance, benefits and outfitting.

Commissioner comments and context: Commissioners praised staff for holding a flat levy while expanding services. One commissioner reiterated that the commission has not raised the levy rate since 2014 and noted that the levy has trended lower since earlier years. County Administrator Gary Weyane noted a small portion of the budget is supported by coal severance and that staff will continue to monitor long-term fiscal impacts.

Vote and next steps: The commission moved, seconded and approved the budget by voice vote. Officials said the next steps include finalizing hiring timelines for firefighters and deputies and preparing any administrative changes necessary to implement the staffing increases.

Budget details and caveats: Commission members and staff discussed the difference between cost-of-living adjustments and step-in-grade increases for employees; that accounting detail will be handled in subsequent personnel actions. The budget documents as discussed allocate $57,210,015 for the general fund and identify approximately $190,000 from coal-severance funds for outside agencies. The commission said it did not raise the levy rate and that increases in individual property tax bills this year reflect higher assessed property values, not a higher rate.

The commission recessed following the vote; staff will post final budget documents to the county records.