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Chair to step down; committee considers spending $8.6M surplus and adjusts to Act 177 changes
Summary
Beaufort County Transportation Committee chair announced he will not seek another term in January and urged using an $8.6 million surplus for road work; the committee was also briefed on SCDOT Act 177 changes that require a public register of CTC members, project selection criteria and new administrative rules effective July 1, 2027.
The chair of the Beaufort County Transportation Committee told members on July 15 that he will not seek another term in January and reflected on the committee’s work and program tools while urging use of a reported surplus for additional road work.
"I will not seek another term in January," the chair said, adding he intends to be at the September meeting and that January would be his last meeting. He said the committee currently has roughly $8.6 million in the bank and suggested using surplus funds to mill and fill another section of Bluffton Parkway rather than leaving money idle.
The chair reviewed recent changes in SCDOT policy (Act 177) and new CTC requirements, including a requirement that each CTC publish a public register of committee members on the county website, that transportation plans include defined project‑selection criteria, that meeting agendas must list proposed actions and CTC funds tied to them, and that the administrative allowance for CTCs increased from $2,000 to $10,000. The chair said the committee is already meeting many of the requirements but asked staff to ensure annual FOIA/ethics forms and the public register are in place; staff noted these changes take effect July 1, 2027.
Committee members discussed using the surplus on Bluffton Parkway work and whether some major corridors should be funded through the pending sales‑tax package. Staff also noted the county could issue bonds under the law but does not currently plan to do so.
The committee received the update and asked staff to ensure compliance with Act 177 requirements and return with options for surplus spending on county roads.
