It’s budget season on Sullivan’s Island, and Town Council has begun the process of formulating a proposed budget for the next fiscal year, which begins July 1, 2026. This is an intensive process in which all residents have the opportunity to get involved in identifying, suggesting and prioritizing programs, operations and equipment that will help ensure our island remains an exceptional place to live, raise our families, and welcome friends and neighbors.
The process began with each town department forecasting the costs of maintaining current operations and making suggestions for improving resident services. While council is not bound by these suggestions, they provide a strong starting point for identifying what works, what doesn’t, and where our collective resources should be directed.
I encourage you to review the proposals on the town’s finances webpage: https://sullivansisland.sc.gov/index.php/government/town-finances. You can also review finance committee meetings where each department presented its suggestions for equipment upgrades, program funding and operational cost forecasts on March 11 and March 30.
Based on these presentations and input from residents, Town Council will begin finalizing a draft budget at its workshop meeting on April 6. An official draft budget will be introduced for consideration at the April 21 council meeting. The town will then hold a public hearing on the proposed budget on May 19 and may make changes until the final vote at the June 16 meeting.
This budget discussion is particularly important because the town’s revenue has been increasing in recent years — not from property tax increases, which are effectively capped for our community at the Consumer Price Index and have not exceeded that rate in 10 years — but largely due to rising home values, permit and contractor license fees associated with building larger, more expensive homes, outside grant funding, and interest revenue.
Our community must decide whether to use this increase to invest in town assets and infrastructure, improve services to residents or save for emergencies and known long-term expenses. It is important to remember that the South Carolina Constitution requires municipalities to adopt a balanced budget, meaning any revenue must be offset by expenditures — even when those expenditures are allocated to savings.
So please, get involved. You can do so by reviewing the proposals, attending meetings, or emailing any Town Council member, including me at jnovak@sullivansisland.sc.gov, or the town clerk at bwelch@sullivansisland.sc.gov, who will share your input with council.
Justin P. Novak Sullivan’s Island Town Councilmember Mayor Pro Tem