Beaufort proposes $32 annual vehicle tag fee in FY27 budget

BEAUFORT, S.C. (WTOC) - Tuesday, Beaufort City Council will meet at 6:00 p.m. for their regular monthly meeting. The agenda includes the first reading of the Fiscal Year 2027 Consolidated Budget.

In Beaufort City Manager Scott Marshall’s Weekly Bridge Report, he said, “the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 (FY27) Consolidated Budget reflects a disciplined and balanced approach to advancing City Council’s priorities while maintaining fiscal stability.”

Totaling $73.4 million, including more than $26 million in capital investments, Marshall said the budget maintains the City’s millage rate at 73.9 mills while continuing to fund critical infrastructure, public safety, drainage improvements, waterfront investments, parks, and economic development initiatives.

Proposed $32 annual vehicle tag fee

The FY27 budget introduces a proposed $32 annual vehicle tag fee and a short-term rental license fee to diversify revenues and reduce reliance on property taxes alone.  

The fee is part of the proposed Fiscal Year 2027 Consolidated Budget, which Council will consider during its regular monthly meeting at 6 p.m. The meeting will include a public hearing and first reading of the budget ordinance.

The proposed vehicle tag fee reflects an effort to fund transportation-related services in a way that is more equitable than relying solely on property taxes, according to the city manager’s bridge report.

“The proposed $32 annual fee instead creates a modest, dedicated revenue source tied more directly to use of the system, while helping the City preserve its existing millage rate and avoid placing additional pressure on homeowners during a time of continued rising costs,” said the city manager in his bridge report.