Aiken County Council has scheduled a June public hearing on the proposed 2026-27 fiscal year budget totaling roughly $214 million, with the largest line items going to public safety, county roads, and a planned expansion of the Aiken County Government Center on University Parkway.
What’s in the proposed budget
The draft spending plan, released ahead of the council’s first-reading vote, holds the operating millage rate flat for residential property owners but includes a stormwater fee adjustment for commercial parcels above five acres. County Administrator Brian Sanders said the budget assumes 2.8% growth in sales-tax revenue and a 1.4% increase in property-tax collections countywide.
Key allocations under discussion:
- Sheriff’s Office staffing — funding for 12 additional patrol deputies and a second cold-case investigator
- Public Works — paving and resurfacing on Whiskey Road, Silver Bluff Road, and rural routes in the New Ellenton and Wagener districts
- EMS — replacement of three frontline ambulances and a new station serving the Sage Mill industrial corridor
- Parks & Recreation — design dollars for the Smith-Hazel Recreation Center renovation
- Library system — extended Sunday hours at the Aiken County Public Library main branch
Where residents can speak
The first public hearing is set for the council’s June meeting at the Aiken County Government Center, 1930 University Parkway. A second-reading vote and final hearing are expected in late June, with the budget taking effect July 1.
Residents who cannot attend can submit written comments through the County Council clerk’s office or by email. Council District 3 representatives have already signaled they will push for additional funding for rural road maintenance west of Wagener.
Why it matters
The county budget directly affects property-tax bills, road maintenance schedules, and the staffing levels of every county-funded service from EMS response times to library hours. Public hearings are the only point in the cycle where residents can place objections on the official record before the council’s final vote.
Aiken County’s 2026-27 budget timeline runs parallel to the City of Aiken’s separate municipal budget process, which is being handled at City Hall on Chesterfield Street.
