The One Cent Sales Tax, otherwise referred to as the “Penny Sales Tax,” adds one cent for every dollar spent on taxable items. The revenue generated from this tax is used to support projects related to roadways, infrastructure, and the preservation of greenbelts throughout Berkeley County. Berkeley County’s One Cent Sales Tax Program was established in 2008. Voters passed additional referendums in 2014 and 2022, approving the continuation of the program.
Regular updates are provided on BuildingBerkeley.com
There are several ways to provide input during the planning process:
- Visit our Public Meetings page: Learn more about any upcoming public meetings.
- Visit Building Berkeley page: Stay informed on the status of current projects.
- Subscribe to Berkeley County Updates: Sign up to receive email updates from Berkeley County.
- Submit comments: Use the online comment form to share your thoughts, concerns, or suggestions.
Visit the Phases of a Project page.
The right of way (ROW) acquisition process involves obtaining the land needed for public road projects. In Berkeley County, this process typically follows these steps:
- Preliminary Design and Survey: The project design team identifies the land required for the project based on preliminary engineering and surveys.
- Property Owner Contact: Property owners are notified and presented with an offer. The County or its representatives will meet with owners to discuss the project and the acquisition process.
- Negotiation: The County negotiates compensation based on whether the acquisition is for fee simple or an easement:
- Fee Simple Acquisition: This is when the County acquires full ownership of the property. The property is transferred outright, and the owner relinquishes all rights to the land.
- Easement Acquisition: In some cases, the County only requires the right to use part of the property for specific purposes, such as utility installation or temporary access during construction. In these cases, the property owner retains ownership of the land, but the County obtains legal rights to use it for the designated purpose.
- Agreement and Closing: Once an agreement is reached, the necessary documents are signed, and the property rights are transferred to the County.
- Condemnation (if necessary): If an agreement cannot be reached, the County may proceed with condemnation through the legal process to acquire the property.
Construction begins after design is complete, any necessary rights of way is acquired, and all necessary permits are received. Projects are then bid for construction, evaluated by a review committee, and recommended to the County Council. Upon approval by the County Council, work on the project can commence.
Roads in Berkeley County are owned and maintained by different entities. You can find out which entity is responsible for your road by checking the Street Maintenance layer on Berkeley County’s GIS website.
In addition, you can view SCDOT’s Street Finder to determine if a road is state or local owned.
To report a road maintenance issue, contact the appropriate entity who maintains the road.
- Berkeley County Maintained Roads: For roads currently maintained by Berkeley County, please fill out the Request for Service Form. For additional information regarding County Roads visit the Roads & Bridges Department.
- City of Charleston Maintained Roads: For roads currently maintained by the City of Charleston, please visit the City of Charleston’s Citizen Services Desk.
- Town of Summerville Maintained Roads: For roads currently maintained by the Town of Summerville, please visit the Town of Summerville’s Request for Service.
- SCDOT Maintained Roads: For roads maintained by the South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT), please contact Berkeley Road Maintenance at 843-761-8481 or submit aMaintenance Work Request.
- OCST Project: If the road is part of an ongoing One Cent Sales Tax (OCST) project, fill out the Contact Us form or call 843-719-2340
For questions about the One Cent Sales Tax Program, you can reach us by:
- Phone: Call 843-719-2340
- Email: Click Here
