This section contains a brief description of departments within Charleston County Government that either engage in activities that affect businesses or offer services that may be beneficial to businesses. These descriptions are brief and are meant to give an overview of services offered within the County. The Charleston County Office of Economic Development has relationships with these offices. Therefore, we suggest that rather than going directly to these offices for assistance, contact our office first.

Contact: Ashley Keene, Assistant Director for Economic Development in Charleston County at (843) 958-4510 or akeene@charlestoncounty.org.

The Charleston County Assessor’s Office locates, lists and appraises the value of approximately 145,000 real property parcels and 11,000 mobile homes in Charleston County. It is the Assessor’s responsibility to assure that all properties are appraised fairly and equitably. Approximately 36 percent of Charleston County’s general revenues come from property taxes generated through the appraisal of real property. Property owners each pay a share of the cost of County services by paying taxes proportional to the value of their property. The property taxes are based on the market value of the land and buildings, although other methods of determining value are used as well.

Charleston County Delinquent Tax Department investigates and collects delinquent real and personal property taxes, penalties and levy costs; finds and notifies taxpayers of taxes owed; and maintains an accurate, up-to-date account of monies collected. Once a property tax bill is deemed delinquent (after March 15 of each year), the debt goes into execution and the County Treasurer sends the bill to the Delinquent Tax Department for collection. The Delinquent Tax Department also works closely with the Register Mesne Conveyance (RMC), Auditor and Business License/User Fee Department.

The Charleston County Auditor’s Office calculates millage to satisfy annual budget requirements for Charleston County, including 33 municipalities and other taxing authorities.  In addition, this office calculates, creates and mails tax bills for real estate, mobile homes, motor vehicles, watercraft, aircraft and business-owned personal property.

The Charleston County Business License/User Fee Department collects revenues totaling more than $59 million per year in the form of fees for accommodations, business licenses, solid waste disposal and hazardous material services. This department also files legal actions against delinquent accounts and maintains bankruptcy files.

The Charleston County Geographic Information Systems/Mapping Department (GIS/Mapping) manages, maintains and updates approximately 1,200 tax maps while overseeing the digital conversion and quality control of all real estate parcel information, including the initial conversion of existing data to computerized form. Data includes buildings, roads, hydrography, miscellaneous transportation routes and utilities. GIS/Mapping also maintains the files of aerial photography projects. This department is responsible for the dissemination of digital data to other County entities, including the Assessor, Planning and Public Works departments, while assisting with the implementation of their GIS needs and future applications.

The Charleston County Building Services Department assures compliance with the International Building, Residential, Plumbing, Mechanical, Fuel Gas, Fire, and Energy Conservation Codes; the National Electrical Code; and other construction-related federal, state and local laws to preserve the safety, health and welfare of County residents. The department functions are: building inspections; building plan reviews; building code enforcement; contractor licensing; flood plain management; and hazard related education. This department inspects property to ensure that building structures are maintained or constructed in accordance with standards, codes, regulations, ordinances and construction requirements. The department has a service agreement with the municipalities of Awendaw, Kiawah Island, Meggett, Ravenel, Rockville and Seabrook Island to provide inspection-related services within these jurisdictions also.

The Charleston County Legislative Delegation Office serves as a liaison between the public, governmental agencies and the 20 elected state legislators who represent Charleston County. Eight state senators and 12 representatives comprise the delegation. This Office processes all Notary Public applications filed by Charleston County residents and provides information about Notary commissions to residents of other counties. Though state-mandated, the Delegation Office is County-funded.

The Charleston County Council members make policy decisions for Charleston County, as established in state law. Council’s nine members each serve four-year terms. Prior to the 2004 election, members were elected at large with residency requirements. A court decision changed the election method, requiring candidates to run in single-member districts. A clerk of council and deputy clerk provide administrative support and maintain official records of Council meetings and activities. The primary areas for which the Council is required to set policy are establishing the community vision; stating the organizational mission; defining any area of the County Administrator’s authority not specifically addressed by state law; and organizing the manner by which Council business is conducted. County Council meets on the first and third Tuesdays of each month (except during July and August when there is only one meeting) in Council chambers in the Lonnie B. Hamilton, III Public Services Building, and holds special meetings as necessary.

The Charleston County Grants Administration Department actively seeks available grant funding and provides administrative and financial oversight for County grant activities. This department also administers Community Development and Workforce Development Grants, which are designed to improve housing and neighborhoods in economically disadvantaged areas and to provide economic development for local governments and provide employment training services to individuals, business and industry.

The goal of the Charleston County Economic Development Office is to help strengthen the area’s economy and to encourage job growth. The office accomplishes this by recruiting companies to the county, helping existing companies remain open and expand, and working to improve the business climate of the county. The office works with other area economic development partners such as the Charleston Regional Development Alliance, the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce and municipalities and utility companies to increase the competitiveness of the Charleston business climate. The Charleston County Economic Development Office is authorized to offer business tax incentives upon approval from Charleston County Council.

The Emergency Management Department was created in December 2003 to centralize coordination of emergency preparedness and homeland security responsibilities as well as fire and rescue response. This department consists of three key divisions: Awendaw Fire Department; Emergency Preparedness Division; and Hazardous Materials Division. The department also maintains the County’s liaison with the Charleston County Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad. These responsibilities represent services throughout the county. The Awendaw District Fire Department consists of professional and highly trained fire employees, augmented by trained local volunteers, who provide fire protection, medical first responding and educational services to the service areas north of Mount Pleasant. The Emergency Preparedness Division (EPD) provides leadership and assistance to reduce the loss of life and property in Charleston County from a variety of man-made and natural hazards through an effective emergency management program. The Hazardous Materials Division (Haz Mat) coordinates an organized effort among emergency responders and industry if hazardous materials are released. The coordination of this response is intended to lessen the impact of any incident on communities in Charleston County. The division interacts with the state Terrorism Task Force. The Volunteer Fire and Rescue Squad is composed of public-minded citizens who contribute money and volunteer their time to perform the following operations: vehicle extrications and fatality recovery; land and water search and rescue; boating, diving and drowning accident response and recovery; and medical first response for Emergency Medical Service.

The Charleston County Emergency Medical Service Department (EMS) provides medical care and transportation to hospital emergency rooms for citizens and visitors to Charleston County. EMS also provides field emergency medical support services which require specialized training and equipment; support to hazardous materials response teams and hazardous materials clean-up operations throughout the county; and assistance to area law enforcement agencies through the nationally recognized Special Weapons and Tactics Medic program.

The Charleston County Planning Department administers the County’s Comprehensive Plan ordinance (adopted by County Council on April 20, 1999) and the Zoning and Land Development Regulations ordinance (adopted by County Council on Nov. 20, 2001) and prepares various studies and plans related to the current and future use of land in Charleston County. This department serves as the professional and technical staff for the County Planning Commission, which is an advisory body to County Council and to the County’s Board of Zoning Appeals. This department also provides technical planning assistance to the towns of James Island, Kiawah, Meggett and Rockville. The Planning Department also provides the planning function for the County’s Enhanced 911 System (except the actual dispatching of calls which is handled by various emergency response agencies) through administration of the County’s 911 addressing ordinance.

The Charleston County Pubic Information Officer (PIO) acts as a point of contact for County information to assist citizens, the news media, elected officials, County employees and other local, state and national agencies. Reporting directly to the County Administrator, the PIO writes and disseminates all County news releases, coordinates and oversees information provided on the county’s Web site, helps with special projects and presentations about County services, and coordinates the publication of County materials. The PIO coordinates the media and serves as a liaison for public information during emergencies and disasters.

The Charleston County Public Works Department has a variety of responsibilities, including construction and maintenance of earth and paved roads, signage fabrication and installation, repair and replacement of bridges, construction and maintenance of storm drainage systems and mosquito control. These services are provided throughout the unincorporated areas of the county and, in many cases, to municipalities within Charleston County.

The Charleston County Register Mesne Conveyance (RMC) Office records land titles, liens and other documents related to property transactions in Charleston County. The RMC, an elected official, must assure that all recorded documents comply with the requirements of federal and state recording statutes and are available for public review. The RMC office functions are: document archival; plat maintenance; public records maintenance; and real property transaction recording.

The Charleston County Sheriff’s Office focuses primarily on public safety. This is accomplished across a broad spectrum of responsibilities, ranging from community programs and court security to investigations and detention. The two main components of the Sheriff’s Office are law enforcement and detention. The Sheriff has jurisdiction throughout Charleston County, but deputies normally do not respond to routine, non-emergency calls for service within the jurisdictions of municipal law enforcement agencies. Sheriff’s Office deputies will assist other law enforcement agencies upon request and will respond to situations within the County when deemed necessary to ensure public safety. The Sheriff’s Office does engage in certain routine activities such as civil process, detention and warrants on a countywide basis. The Sheriff has the authority to enforce state law throughout the County, including incorporated areas. Deputies do not have the authority to enforce a city ordinance within the limits of the municipality unless that ordinance has been adopted as a County ordinance.

The Charleston County Solid Waste and Recycling Department manages disposal of solid waste for the County in compliance with the S.C. Solid Waste Policy and Management Act of 1991 and the County of Charleston Solid Waste Management Plan. This department also has developed educational and operational programs to inform communities about proper solid waste disposal practices and procedures. Contained within the department are divisions devoted to specific tasks, including collection, disposal, litter control, recycling and educational programs. All residents of Charleston County are provided solid waste and recycling services by the County. Berkeley and Dorchester counties also contract to use the recycling services offered by this department. This department’s functions are: solid waste management; recycling administration; landfill management; material recovery facility management; compost and mulch operations; curbside and convenience center collection; Incineration Litter Control.

The Charleston County Public Library operates 16 branches throughout the County, including its main branch located in downtown Charleston. Library services are funded through Charleston County government and other state monies. The Library Board of Trustees is appointed by Charleston County Council. More information about this organization can be found on their Web Site at www.ccpl.org.

 

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