# City of Charleston Ad Hoc Budget Committee 10/7/26


**Body:** City of Charleston SC
**Date:** October 06, 2026
**Jurisdiction:** SLED

**Tags:** Information Technology, Construction & Infrastructure, Artificial Intelligence, Physical Infrastructure


At the City of Charleston Ad Hoc Budget Committee meeting on October 7, 2026, staff presented FY2027 budget requests for IT and Facilities/Capital Projects. IT described a request of approximately $2.4–$2.5 million, including about $673,000 for new positions, $630,000 in ongoing operating expenses, and $220,000 in one-time costs. Proposed work included replacing data-center and disaster-recovery systems nearing end of life, upgrading facility access controls and fire-station cameras, developing an AI program—including AI-assisted meeting transcription—and improving communications resilience with Starlink failover, emergency phone towers, and cellular coverage at Bees Landing Recreation Center. These were budget proposals; no vendor selection, contract award, or spending approval was recorded.

Facilities and Capital Projects presented staffing and funding requests covering building operations, parks, and urban forestry, along with needs such as HVAC and life-safety repairs, roof and building-envelope work, pool filtration, park structures and equipment, parking lots, and tree maintenance. Staff highlighted the scale of the city’s portfolio—about 120 parks, nearly 2,000 acres of parkland, and 211 buildings—and noted that funding is limited and not all requests are likely to be accommodated. The discussion also referenced deferred-maintenance reserves and the use of hospitality or other tourism funds for certain public-space improvements. No motions or votes were reported.

**Source:** City of Charleston SC