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Colleton County moves forward with ‘Project Ruby’ fee-in-lieu agreement; council approves first reading
Summary
On first reading, Colleton County approved an ordinance to authorize a fee-in-lieu-of-tax arrangement with an industry called "Project Ruby" and to amend a multi-county industrial park agreement; county staff said negotiations were expected to finish the following week.
Colleton County Council gave first reading to an ordinance authorizing a fee-in-lieu-of-tax (FILOT) agreement with an industry identified in the minutes as "Project Ruby" during its Feb. 1, 2022 meeting.
Councilman Phillip Taylor moved to approve the first reading of Ordinance 22-O-01, which would allow the county to enter a FILOT arrangement with Project Ruby, provide certain fees in lieu of ad valorem taxes, assign existing economic development incentives to the project, and amend a multi-county industrial/business park agreement with Hampton County to include additional property in Colleton County. Dr. Joseph Flowers seconded the motion and it carried unanimously. The vote recorded in the minutes was unanimous; the meeting minutes do not list individual yes/no votes.
Administrator Kevin Griffin told council the project had been delayed by staff COVID-19 absences but negotiations were expected to finish the following week and the county was prepared for first reading. Griffin characterized the next step as continuing negotiations and proceeding through formal readings; the minutes do not record final incentive amounts, timelines, or the company identity beyond the “Project Ruby” placeholder.
Because the ordinance received only a first reading at this meeting, the FILOT arrangement is not final and would require further readings and any statutorily required approvals before becoming effective.
