Florence, South Carolina – Florence City Council’s June budget fight ended not with one winner, but with two local priorities restored: buses on the road and planes in the air.
After a fast-moving two-week stretch, council members gave unanimous final approval on June 22 to a budget amendment that fully funds the Pee Dee Regional Transportation Authority and provides $100,000 for the Florence Regional Airport.
The action came before the city’s new fiscal year begins July 1 and closed a brief but tense chapter that began when airport money was shifted away during final budget approval earlier in the month.
The result is a new local funding package that gives PDRTA about $525,000 to $526,000 from the City of Florence, depending on the final accounting cited in reports, and gives the airport $100,000, which is $20,000 more than the earlier airport amount under discussion. The added money is coming from city reserves, not a property tax increase.
The path there was not simple.
When the city approved its roughly $159 million budget on June 8, PDRTA had requested about $500,000 and the Florence Regional Airport had requested $100,000. A limited pool of money was available for outside and community-related funding requests.
Early allocations included a significant amount for PDRTA and $80,000 for the airport. But during the meeting, council members voted to move that $80,000 from the airport to PDRTA after learning of a recent state law change tied to board composition and local appointment authority.
That shift sparked concern almost immediately. Some residents contacted Mayor Lethonia “Peaches” Barnes, worried the decision looked like the city was stepping back from its support of the airport. City leaders later said that was not the message they intended.
Councilman Bryan Braddock said the decision was about accountability, not punishment.
“It was not the city and the city council taking money from the airport and giving it to another organization,” Braddock said to the Post and Courier. “It was basically us taking that money back until we had a path where we could be accountable to our citizens, our constituents, on how that money was spent.”
By June 15, council members were already moving to fix the funding gap. At a special called meeting, Mayor Pro Tem George D. Jebaily made a motion to add $165,000 for PDRTA and $100,000 for the airport.
The first reading passed, setting up the June 22 final vote. City officials also said discussions with state legislators began quickly after the June 8 discovery, with the goal of restoring a stronger Florence city and county voice in future oversight.
For PDRTA, the decision matters beyond a line item. The agency, founded in 1974, describes itself as serving the Pee Dee region with public transportation across Florence, Chesterfield, Darlington, Dillon, Marlboro and Marion counties. Its fixed-route service moves riders through the region, while ADA paratransit and other options support people who cannot rely on a personal vehicle for work, school, medical visits or daily errands.
The local money also helps support a system that works alongside federal transit funding and other revenue sources. Like many public transit providers, PDRTA has faced pressure over service costs, route needs and local contributions. Full funding from Florence gives the agency more stability heading into the new budget year.
For the airport, the restored funding sends a different but equally clear message. The City of Florence said council remains committed to supporting the Florence Regional Airport as part of the area’s economic development, regional connectivity and infrastructure future. The city’s own statement said the airport helps keep Florence connected, competitive and prepared for long-term needs.
Barnes framed the final decision as one made for the broader community.
“I can say I’ve worked with these people for a long time, and we all love Florence,” she said.
“And so this decision that will be made is because of our love for this community. We have to put down our feelings because it’s not about us; it’s about our community. And we are willing to come to the table and work and make our community better. We all love Florence.”
What began as a temporary shift ended as a full restoration effort. Florence council members still face questions about representation, oversight and how state-level changes will affect local authority. But for now, the city has secured two pieces of infrastructure it says are central to Florence’s future: public transit for people who need a ride today, and an airport built around the region’s connection to tomorrow.
