Johns Island Municipal Improvement District (MID)

 The Municipal Improvements Act of 1999  enables cities and towns in South Carolina to establish Municipal Improvement Districts (MIDs). A MID is an area in which a special fee may be assessed to property owners in addition to their normal property taxes. Money generated by a MID may only be spent within the same MID area on infrastructure improvements, such as new roads, parks and recreation facilities, or stormwater drainage improvements.

Johns Island is one of the fastest growing areas within the City of Charleston. Currently around 5000 households live on Johns Island, and around 3500 new residential units are approved to be constructed in the future. These 3500 new households will generate new traffic impacts and additional demand for parks and recreation facilities. The Johns Island MID is a proposed strategy for creating a dedicated funding stream to build infrastructure improvements on Johns Island.

The proposed Johns Island MID would be a new fee for new residential units and new commercial buildings on Johns Island. Existing homeowners will not be assessed. Funds generated through this MID are required by state law to be spent on Johns Island and must fall into one of three types of projects:

The City's new  Parks and Recreation Master Plan  provides a needs assessment and lists parks and recreation projects on Johns Island that would be eligible to be funded through the MID.

These projects could include new connector roads, intersection improvements and sidewalk and bike/ped improvements.

New developments are required through the City's  stormwater regulations  to the manage the stormwater impacts they create. MID funds could be used to update outdated drainage systems on properties adjacent to new development or connect drainage systems between neighborhoods.

To be included in the district, a parcel must meet one of the following criteria:

1. The property is 2 acres or greater in area AND the property is located in the City of Charleston AND the property is not currently being used as a primary residence (not assessed at a 4% property tax rate).
2. The property has an active entitlement for development (it has been approved by the City's Technical Review Committee or Planning Commission for future new construction) but does not yet have a certificate of construction completion.

Use the search bar in the upper left hand corner of the map to find a property.

MID funding will be dependent on the construction of new units and commercial buildings, which can change due to market and economic forces. Based on the number of currently approved developments the MID is estimated to generate about $60 million over a 30 year period. The funds will be available to be bonded for projects after a critical mass of developments are constructed and begin paying into the MID, which may take several years. Bonding will likely occur multiple times as more developments begin construction.

The City of Charleston is hosting a webinar for the Johns Island MID on September 2, 2021 from 6-7pm. This will be an opportunity to learn more from City staff, provide feedback and ask questions. If you are unable to attend the webinar, please send any questions or comments to Jim Hemphill- hemphillj@charleston-sc.gov or call 843-973-7253.

Watch the video recording of the webinar below:

• March 9, 2018 – Developer and landowner meeting in Council Chambers to brainstorm Johns Island infrastructure needs and solutions; early discussion of potential MID. 
• April – July 2018 – public meetings with the Johns Island Growth Management Committee where a “Johns Island Capital Improvement Plan” was discussed along with very general concept of potential MID (and other funding options). 
• September 2019 – meeting with Johns Island developers. 
• October 2019 – meeting with Johns Island developers and builders re: MID (Beazer, Chas Homebuilders Association, Pulte, Crescent, Lennar, Mungo, Charleston Realtors Association.)
• 6/3/21- In-person presentation/ Q&A on MID to Johns Island Task Force
• 6/7/21- In-person presentation/ Q&A to Charleston Chamber of Commerce
• 7/14/21- Second in-person presentation/Q&A to Johns Island Task Force
• 7/28/21 In-person presentation/Q&A to Charleston Trident Association of Realtors and Charleston Homebuilders 
• 8/5/21- In-person presentation/ Q&A to Johns Island Council
• 8/12/21- City-led in-person public input session at Berkeley Electric Co-op
• 8/17/21- MID public hearing at City Council
• 9/2/21- Public input webinar for MID from 6-7pm.  Click here to watch the webinar. 

• 9/28/21- City Council-1st reading of the ordinance establishing the MID.  Calendar link here.  
• TBD October- City Council- 2nd and 3rd readings.  Calendar link here.