Advisory committee recommends nine-year transportation sales-tax referendum, urges oversight and active outreach

An advisory committee reviewing projects for a proposed 2026 Beaufort County transportation sales-tax referendum recommended a nine-year levy and urged county council to create a citizen oversight committee and begin public education ahead of council readings and an anticipated Election Day ballot placement.

The presenter, identified in the meeting as the committee lead (Presenter, Speaker 3), told attendees the 15-member advisory group met nine times, vetted more than 150 project requests using existing studies and municipal submissions, and pared the list to a set of recommended transportation projects focused on widening, resurfacing, dirt-road paving and intersection-safety improvements. "We cut it in half," the Presenter said, describing the screening process and the committee's effort to distribute projects equitably across Beaufort County.

Why it matters: Committee members said local funding is needed because state DOT resources typically prioritize interstates and bridges. The Presenter noted Beaufort County is one of three counties in the state without a local transportation sales tax and argued the proposal would address long-standing congestion and safety needs countywide.

The committee recommended keeping the total revenue target but advised excluding unprepared food from the taxable base to lessen the burden on residents. "We are recommending a 9 year penny," the Presenter said; she added that excluding unprepared food would reduce the immediate impact on households while preserving the revenue target. A separate committee member (Speaker 5) said she plans to ask county staff to limit the ordinance's language to the published Exhibit A project list during a future reading to make the project list explicit in the ordinance.

County staff (Staff member, Speaker 8) told the meeting the request for qualifications for an education firm has closed and a selection team is reviewing submissions; the selected firm would help lead outreach in the coming months. Staff also said consultants prepared per-project cost estimates that include contingency allowances (examples described at the meeting ranged from roughly 20% to 30%) and that some estimates incorporate a statutory 4% obligation for wet utility relocations.

Public information: Presenters and staff directed residents to the county's project map and FAQ on the bufortcountypenny.com website, which the committee said contains per-project pages showing assumptions, estimated costs and estimated durations. Staff confirmed the interactive map is live and said the final project list will be uploaded after county council finalizes the ballot.

Policy and oversight: Committee members urged creation of a citizen oversight committee with quarterly meetings, monthly staff reports and public-comment opportunities, citing previous success with oversight panels in earlier penny cycles. "We were pleading and recommending that there's some citizen oversight committee," the Presenter said, noting it had worked for the school district and would increase transparency.

Complete Streets and pedestrian elements: Committee members and staff discussed the county's Complete Streets policy. Staff said widening projects for corridors such as S.C. 170 and S.C. 46 should include pathways where feasible, while very high-traffic routes (notably S.C. 278) may not have dedicated pathways because of traffic conditions.

Next steps: The Presenter said county council scheduled readings (first reading May 25, second reading in mid-June, third reading June 22) and that, if council adopts the recommended list, the referendum would appear on the next Election Day ballot with collections beginning in 2027. The committee encouraged municipalities to pass supporting resolutions and to coordinate on project delivery.

Meeting notes and procedural actions: The committee approved minutes at the meeting and later moved to adjourn after announcing a June program on heirs property by Luanna Gray of the Lowcountry Gullah Foundation.

The meeting included questions from multiple committee members and staff responses; no final county-council action on the referendum occurred at this meeting, and the committee presented its recommendations for council consideration.