CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCSC) — A new state audit shows Charleston County has spent its transportation sales tax money exactly as voters intended, with only $615 in non-qualifying expenses found over five years.
The South Carolina Department of Revenue reviewed penny-tax collections and spending from 2019 through 2024, examining more than 13,000 transactions. Auditors found the county collected about $767 million during that period.
Nearly all funds were spent on transportation projects tied to the 2004 and 2016 referendums or to pay bond debt, according to the audit. The $615 in non-qualifying expenses that were flagged have been reimbursed…