Charleston County Council announces creation of Transportation Sales Tax committee, receives report detailing program accomplishments

During the meeting on September 11, 2025, Charleston County Council announced the establishment of a Transportation Sales Tax Program Special Committee, which will help guide the future of the county’s transportation funding. With the first half-cent sales tax set to expire in 2027, the committee will focus on evaluating the program’s past successes, identifying future needs, and recommending a path forward for Charleston County’s transportation infrastructure.

The newly formed committee, composed of all nine sitting councilmembers, will hold its first meeting on Wednesday, September 25, 2025.

Also during the meeting, County Council received a report highlighting the role the half-cent sales tax has played in supporting vital infrastructure improvements over the past 20 years.

Once fully collected, the existing sales taxes are expected to generate $3.4 billion, with an additional $1.17 billion secured through state and federal matching funds, bringing the total investment in roads, sidewalks, green spaces, and public transit across the county to $4.56 billion.

To date, this investment has included:

• Major road projects throughout the county, including US 17/Johnnie Dodds Boulevard Improvements, Glenn McConnell Parkway Widening Project, and Harborview Road Widening Project, among others.
• Local matching funds ($72 million) that made the Ravenel Bridge project possible
• More than 66 million public transit trips
• Greenbelt funding that helped reach the current milestone of more than 284,000 protected acres of greenspace, or 49 percent of the county’s total acreage

Of the $3.4 billion in sales tax funds, approximately 30 percent is contributed by Charleston County visitors. Combined with the $1.17 billion in state and federal matching funds, 48 percent of the total investment comes from outside the county.

“For nearly two decades, the Transportation Sales Tax Program has delivered transformative improvements across Charleston County, building safer roads, expanding public transit, and protecting green space,” said Charleston County Council Chairman Rev. Kylon Middleton. “With our region growing rapidly, this new committee will take a thoughtful and transparent look at what’s worked well and what remains to be accomplished, so we’re prepared to meet the county’s infrastructure needs in the years ahead.”

Learn more and read the report in full at charlestontransportation.com.