NORTH CHARLESTON, S.C. (WCSC) – As the current sales tax in Charleston County is soon set to expire, the county council will hear a recommendation for a potential future transportation sales tax at the council meeting on Tuesday night.
The current half-cent sales tax that has helped the county with transportation, infrastructure and greenspace since 2004 is set to expire in 2027.
“County council is considering extending the local option sales tax so that we can continue to invest in our infrastructure and preserve our quality of life here in Charleston, whether that be with traffic, green space or transit,” Eric Adams, Charleston County Public Works Director, says.
The council recently created a new committee to help guide the future of the county’s transportation funding. The committee, made up of the nine current council members, will look back at the sales tax program’s success, what remains to be done, and what the future could bring. Their main goal is to seek community input for the potential future sales tax. Over the next few months, the county will host meetings, sessions and collect feedback through surveys.
This approach also comes after community members voted against a referendum when the transportation sales tax was on the November ballot in 2024. Officials say they don’t want to move forward with the sales tax without first hearing from the community.
“We’ve started a new process as we move forward into November of 2026 to be very transparent and also seek public input on what the public wants to see as far as investment categories, but also projects that they would like to see,” Adams says. “We’re going out to our municipal partners, to stakeholders and to the public at large.”
County officials say the sales tax would be the same as it has been, and the only thing that would change is what projects it would fund.
Since 2004, two different transportation sales taxes have directed 62% of funding to infrastructure projects, including bike and pedestrian improvements, 25% to public transit and 13% to greenbelt preservation.
Some of the major infrastructure projects include resurfacing roads, creating bike and pedestrian paths and improving intersections. The tax is also helping fund the Lowcountry Rapid Transit system and the Palmetto Commerce Interchange.
A recently released report revealed that all the funding generated from taxes led to a total of $4.56 billion in community infrastructure investments.
Officials say the transportation sales tax must continue because of the population growth throughout Charleston County. The population has grown more than 50% since 2004, and it’s projected to increase by over 42,000 in the next decade.
“The population is increasing significantly, which also means we need to keep up with our infrastructure so that we can preserve that quality of life that we enjoy so much,” Adams says.
The recommendation at tonight’s meeting is preliminary, and officials say their priority is to hear from the community before a decision is made.