Regional leaders outline 2025 priorities, agree to poll and form subcommittee leads

Joe Passerman presented an agenda framework for 2025, walking members through county population tiers, partner counties and a list of cross-cutting challenges: roads and evacuation routes, economic development, housing and affordability, health care, child care, education, workforce training and the environment. He emphasized that the group should prioritize specific, actionable outcomes rather than broad topic labels.

Passerman urged the regional group to consider funding mechanisms (sales tax or property tax) to pay for capital needs and noted the importance of linking priorities to measurable results — for example, a regional housing trust fund or coordinated stormwater standards. He noted Allendale County’s population decline as a regional concern.

Board members recommended narrowing topics into executable subcommittees with a designated contact to follow up. Suggestions included focusing a single subcommittee on trash or litter under the broad “environment” heading, creating a childcare lead to steward follow-up activity, and measuring progress against specific outcomes for each focus area.

A council member and other participants urged a debrief of the failed Beaufort County sales tax effort as part of the group’s February work so members could decide whether to support or oppose a future referendum. Passerman and the chair said they would circulate the presentation and a poll of priorities; the chair asked members to submit suggested agenda items for January and said the next meeting will be the fourth Tuesday in January in Hardeeville.

No formal votes or motions were taken during the discussion; the group agreed on the process to poll priorities, assemble subcommittees with leads and reconvene in January to finalize the 2025 agenda.