Colleton County places 1-cent capital projects sales tax on Nov. ballot; $40.4M project list unveiled

Colleton County Council voted to place a 1-cent Capital Projects Sales Tax (CPST) on the November 2022 ballot and disclosed a package of projects totaling $40,355,061 at a joint meeting Oct. 3, County Chairman Steven Murdaugh said.

Murdaugh said the package includes 11 projects: an Animal Services facility ($3,330,550), a Veteran’s Park ($988,200), the Johnsville/Smoaks community center ($937,000), an Emergency Operations Center ($2,719,185), additions to the Colleton County Recreation Center (gym and activity rooms, $2,953,575), a recreation center pool facility ($2,029,690), town park and water infrastructure projects, the City of Walterboro’s I‑95 Business Loop Project Phase 3 ($6,802,045) and a $10,000,000 Edisto municipal EOC and town hall complex. The county’s announcement also lists a nearly $9.9 million Ireland Creek Greenway and stream restoration project among the proposed uses.

The CPST package accompanies broader county fiscal updates presented at the meeting. Murdaugh said the county’s fiscal year 2022 assessable property tax base totaled $193,167,536, a 6.8% increase over 2021, and that building activity included more than 1,300 permits with a combined valuation of $45.3 million. He cited gains in median household income (reported at $44,399) and lower unemployment as signs of a continuing economic rebound from the COVID‑19 downturn.

Economic development activity was also a focus. Murdaugh discussed three industrial sites — the Colleton Mega Site, the Stokes Tract and the Colleton Industrial Campus — tied to a 2017 financing package for the Salkehatchie Railroad. He noted an announced private investment: "Gehl Foods Southeast announced the purchase of Crescent Dairy and on Spec Building II for a large manufacturing distribution of shelf stable milk products and sports drinks. This project will bring $44 million in new investment and 106 new jobs to the Colleton County Commerce Center," Murdaugh said, and "Mr. Jason Krause, Manager, says to let everyone know that Gehl is now hiring."

County officials also highlighted recent capital completions: the new Colleton County Taxpayer Service Center (the Floyd Buckner Building) opened to house the treasurer and auditor and provide a drive‑through payments window. Officials said the older Harrelson Building will be reconfigured to improve public access to assessor, planning, register of deeds and human resources offices, and to host a new county IT server room. A central parking area for county office visitors was also completed.

Other items noted at the meeting included an ongoing county litter‑removal program (reported at 340.76 miles of cleanup and 26.95 tons collected since Sept. 1, 2022) and a county business‑registration effort the sheriff’s office supports to help identify nuisance operations that evade other enforcement tools.

The council’s decision to place the CPST question on the November 2022 ballot was announced at the meeting; the transcript does not record a vote tally. If approved by voters, the sales tax proceeds would fund the projects listed in the county’s CPST packet.