Jurisdictional Confusion in Charleston Clarified by City and County Agencies

In Charleston, South Carolina, jurisdictional lines can sometimes blur, leaving residents uncertain about their exact municipal associations. This issue was brought to the fore during the recent mayoral campaign for William Cogswell, and caused some confusion amongst voters on the Cainhoy peninsula and parts of West Ashley. Deja McKnight McMillan, Charleston’s new director of communications, spotlighted this issue when she encouraged residents to check the logos on their trash cans to confirm if they were part of the City of Charleston, and thereby eligible to vote in the city’s elections.

Residents like Grace Lindig, who hails from the Nelliefield Plantation on the Cainhoy peninsula, found this guideline to be very enlightening. When Grace and her husband moved to their new home, they were unsure about their municipal boundaries, given that Nelliefield sits in an unincorporated pocket of Berkeley County, ringed by City of Charleston properties. This far-flung position precludes Grace, her husband, and other residents in similar situations, from voting in Charleston’s municipal elections, and restricts their access to city services.

Interestingly, this unique situation has stirred a wave of annexation requests from some residents of communities like Jack Primus, off Clements Ferry Road, and in Shell Ring near Daniel Island. But Robert Summerfield, Charleston’s planning director, explained that such requests are feasible only when a property borders a city property line.

Services across Jurisdictional Lines

Notwithstanding municipal boundaries, Berkeley County and Charleston city jointly provide various public services to residents in these pockets of unincorporated areas. Law enforcement is provided by the Berkeley County Sheriff’s Office, while Berkeley County EMS is responsible for emergency medical services. Trash collection is managed by Carolina Waste and other service providers, while the Charleston Water System sees to water and sewer services. Despite being outside the city limits, residents of these areas pay slightly higher rates for water services. However, they are spared from the higher taxes applicable to city residents.

Between 2012 and 2021, approximately 24 residents living on unincorporated Cainhoy properties annexed into the city. However, it is worth noting that these annexations are infrequent, given that much of the region has already been annexed.

Growth Spurs More Demand for Services

Over the past decade, the Cainhoy peninsula has witnessed substantial growth, with the local population almost doubling. Estimates predict that more than 19,000 people will settle in the area by 2025, and up to 23,000 could be living there by 2030, making it one of the fastest-growing residential hubs in the region. This growth spurt is set to elevate the demand for public services.

To meet these demands, various agencies share duties to address residents’ needs adequately. For instance, law enforcement, EMS, and fire services in the region follow a “tag team” approach, regardless of residents’ municipal affiliations. Ambulances and trucks close to the emergency location are dispatched promptly, thanks to GPS tracking via a computer-assisted dispatch system. Similarly, in times of emergency, diverse jurisdictions join forces to use their readily available resources most effectively.

This collaborative attitude extends to dispatchers as well, who, cognizant of differing jurisdictions, route calls accordingly to the requisite services. Charleston city police officers, stationed at Team 5 on Daniel Island, cover most of the Cainhoy peninsula, providing round-the-clock services all year long.

Charleston Police public information officer Sgt. Anthony Gibson rightly sums up this multifaceted collaborative effort when he explains, “Public safety is a shared responsibility. It’s not just the police, sheriff’s department, EMS, or fire; it’s literally everybody, including the residents, working together.”

It is this collective responsibility and interagency cooperation that goes a long way in streamlining public services and coordinating efforts to keep Charleston’s diverse jurisdictions working effectively and keep its residents safe, regardless of their municipal affiliations.