Charleston County voters approved the $4.25 billion half-cent transportation sales tax with 63.9% of the vote. Council Chairman Joe Boykin trails in his own race.
Charleston County voters on Tuesday extended the half-cent sales tax that pays for roads, buses and greenspace. The measure is expected to raise $4.25 billion over 25 years.
Question 1 passed 108,190 to 61,102, or 63.9% yes. That is with 182 of the county’s 185 precincts reporting, in unofficial results from the South Carolina Election Commission. The results are unofficial until the county election board certifies them.
Question 2, which lets the county borrow against the tax, passed 108,002 to 60,841.
In the same election, County Council Chairman Joe Boykin trailed in the race for his District 8 seat, and the Charleston County School District’s sales tax extension passed with 68% yes.
What the transportation tax pays for
The tax does not raise the rate. It continues the existing half-cent tax approved in 2004 once that program finishes collecting, which the county projects for 2027. The county set out the split when County Council approved the ballot question in July:
- $2.7 billion for roads, intersections, paving, and bike and pedestrian work
- $858 million for public transit run by CARTA, the Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority
- $690 million for the Greenbelt Program, split evenly between urban and rural land
The tax runs for up to 25 years or until it has raised $4.25 billion, whichever comes first. That wording is in the ballot question itself.
Question 2 approves up to $300 million in county general obligation bonds. They are repaid from the sales tax and pay for projects on the Question 1 list.
Projects in the city of Charleston
The ballot names its projects. Those in or next to the city include:
- Battery Extension West and the Calhoun Street medical district on the peninsula
- Hagood Avenue improvements
- the Maybank Highway “southern pitchfork” and roundabouts on Johns Island
- Glenn McConnell Parkway at Magwood Road in West Ashley
- Savannah Highway at Ashley Town Center Drive in West Ashley
- Maybank Highway at Riverland Drive
- the City of Charleston Safe Streets for All plan, under bike and pedestrian work
The ballot also says every project “shall consider the inclusion of bicycle, pedestrian, and public transit access in the design process, as contextually appropriate.”
Boykin, the County Council chairman, said in a statement Wednesday that the program came out of nearly 80 meetings, 29,000 comments and more than 600 project requests.
“The responsibility now is to deliver on that trust with a continued commitment to the transparency, accountability, and results that Charleston County residents deserve,” he said.
School sales tax extended through 2034
The Educational Capital Improvements Tax Referendum passed 115,325 to 54,182, or 68% yes.
The Charleston County School District says the question keeps its existing one-cent education sales tax for six more years, from 2029 through 2034. It does not raise the rate. The money pays for school construction, renovations, building replacements, major maintenance and technology.
Council seats and probate judge
Democrats led in two of the three contested County Council races in the unofficial count:
| District | Leading candidate | Votes | Runner-up | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District 8 | Charles Glover (D) | 11,837 | Joe Boykin (R) | 11,358 |
| District 9 | Jaxie Ferguson (D) | 13,136 | Adam Friend (R) | 12,100 |
| District 1 | Herb Sass (R) | 12,262 | Katie Miller (D) | 10,847 |
Glover’s lead over Boykin is 479 votes, with 26 of the district’s 29 precincts reporting. Brian Cooke, the Green Party candidate in District 8, had 560. Larry Kobrovsky in District 2 and Teddie Pryor in District 5 had no opponent on the ballot.
For probate judge, Democrat Tamara Cunningham Curry led Republican Irv Condon 94,539 to 77,853, or 54.8% to 45.1%.
School board races
The county school board races are nonpartisan. The leaders in unofficial results:
- District 1: Keith S. Grybowski, 6,284 votes (41%)
- District 3: Bethany Nemitz, 3,949 votes (36.4%), in a four-way race
- District 5: Libby Tisdale, 4,292 votes (61.1%)
- District 7: Joy Brown, 4,547 votes, 47 ahead of Leah A. Whatley with 4,500
- District 9: Carol Tempel, 10,192 votes (59.1%)
Congress and the state House
In Charleston County’s part of the 1st Congressional District, Democrat Nancy Lacore had 49,228 votes to Republican Jenny Costa Honeycutt’s 44,566. The district reaches beyond the county, so the county count alone does not decide it.
In the 6th District, U.S. Rep. James E. “Jim” Clyburn, D-S.C., had 53,755 votes in the county to Republican John Peterson’s 24,930.
The full list of state House results for Charleston County precincts is on the Election Commission’s results page.
What it means for you
- Your sales tax rate stays the same. The transportation half-cent carries on instead of adding to what you pay, and so does the school penny.
- Road work continues. Projects already under way from the earlier programs keep going. The county’s announcement of its project dashboard counted 90 active and 400 completed projects from the first two programs.
- The numbers can still move. Three precincts had not reported when the last update was posted at 11:21 p.m. Tuesday. Close races, including District 8 and school board District 7, could shift slightly before certification.
For current closures, see our Charleston road work page. For polling places and registration, see our voting guide.
Frequently asked questions
Did the Charleston County transportation sales tax pass?
Yes. With 182 of 185 precincts reporting, unofficial results from the South Carolina Election Commission show Question 1 passed 108,190 to 61,102, or 63.9% yes. The bond question, Question 2, passed with 64% yes.
Does the transportation sales tax raise the sales tax rate?
No. The measure continues the existing half-cent tax approved in 2004 once that program finishes collecting, which the county projects for 2027. It runs for up to 25 years or until it raises $4.25 billion.
Who leads the Charleston County District 8 council race?
Charles Glover, a Democrat, led council Chairman Joe Boykin, a Republican, 11,837 to 11,358 in unofficial results, a margin of 479 votes. Green Party candidate Brian Cooke had 560. Three of the district’s 29 precincts had not reported.
Did the Charleston County School District sales tax pass?
Yes. The Educational Capital Improvements Tax Referendum passed 115,325 to 54,182, or 68% yes, in unofficial results. It keeps the district’s one-cent education sales tax from 2029 through 2034.
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