Charleston County Voters Back the Transportation Sales Tax, and Here Is Where the Projects Land

by Blake Heron

By Blake Heron, Realtor, Heron Homes CHS, eXp Realty. Published November 5, 2026.

On November 3, Charleston County voters approved continuing the half cent transportation sales tax. Unofficial results show 63.9 percent voting yes, 108,190 votes to 61,102, with all 182 precincts reporting. The tax rate does not change. What changes is the list of projects the next 25 years of revenue can pay for. Here is what passed, where the money is set aside, and which projects the county named, organized by area so you can see what sits near you.

What passed

The vote continues the half cent sales tax first approved in 2004, so the local sales tax rate stays where it is today. The new program is capped at $4.25 billion and runs up to 25 years, or until the cap is reached. It begins when collections under the 2004 tax are complete, which the county has projected for 2027, and no later than May 1, 2030. Voters also approved a separate question allowing up to $300 million in bonds backed by the same revenue, with 63.97 percent in favor in unofficial results.

This is the third time Charleston County voters have weighed a transportation tax in recent years. They approved an extension in 2016 and turned down a 2024 version built mainly around the Mark Clark Extension. This year's list was built with input from mayors and residents, and it is a different package.

Where the money is set aside

The ordinance divides the program into three buckets. $2.702 billion goes to highways, roads, streets, bridges and related projects. $858 million goes to public transit. $690 million goes to the Greenbelt program, which protects land. Together they equal the $4.25 billion cap.

Projects named in the plan, by area

These names come straight from the ordinance. The ordinance does not assign a dollar amount to each project, so none are listed here.

West Ashley

The U.S. 17 South widening from Dobbin Road to S.C. 162, which the Post and Courier described as the largest single project. Glenn McConnell Parkway at Magwood Road. Hagood Avenue improvements. Savannah Highway at Ashley Town Center Drive.

Johns Island

The Maybank Highway southern pitchfork and roundabouts.

James Island

Maybank Highway at Riverland Drive. The Rethink Folly Road plan, listed under bike and pedestrian improvements.

Mount Pleasant

Johnnie Dodds Boulevard at Houston Northcutt Boulevard and Wingo Way. Long Point Road resiliency and safety improvements.

North Charleston

The Rivers Avenue railroad overpass at Durant Avenue. Mall Drive (S-790) improvements. Better North Bridge pedestrian and bicycle improvements, which tie into West Ashley.

Downtown Charleston

The Battery Extension West and Calhoun Street project in the Medical District. The Post and Courier reported $225 million for the western section of the Battery seawall extension.

How the county picks and tracks projects

The county program site says projects are scored on a 100 point system that weighs public and municipal support, congestion relief, safety and the County Council's guiding principles. A public dashboard tracks nearly 500 road projects, County Council gets regular updates, and the South Carolina Department of Revenue audits the program. In the most recent audit the county reports that eight expenditures totaling $615.43 out of more than 13,500 transactions were flagged as non qualifying and were reimbursed.

What the vote does not tell you

Approval of funding is not a construction date. Projects still move through design, permitting and construction, and the ordinance is a list of what the program can fund, not a schedule. Results are unofficial until the county certifies them. Watch the county's project dashboard for the timing of each corridor.

If you own or are shopping near these corridors

Construction can change traffic and access for a stretch of time, and a finished project changes how a corridor works. Neither one tells you what a specific home will do to its value, and anyone promising that is guessing. What I can do is look at your address, tell you what the official project list names nearby, and show you what is on the market and what has sold around it. Send me the address and I will pull it.

Frequently asked questions

Will my sales tax go up?

No. The tax continues the existing half cent, so the local rate stays where it is today.

When does the new program start?

When collections under the 2004 tax are complete, which the county projects for 2027, and no later than May 1, 2030, per the ordinance.

How much money is in the program?

Up to $4.25 billion over up to 25 years, split into $2.702 billion for roads, $858 million for transit and $690 million for the Greenbelt.

Are the vote results final?

No. The 63.9 percent yes result is unofficial until the county certifies it.

Does a named project mean a construction date?

No. The ordinance names projects that can be funded. Timing comes from design and permitting.

Sources

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Blake Heron

Agent License ID: 125922

+1(843) 718-6338