Town Hall · Bluffton

Bluffton, SC town hall & government

Bluffton spent $33.6 million in the year to June 30, 2024, about $975 per resident.

Where the money goes, where it comes from, property taxes, and how to reach Bluffton's government.

Meetings

Coming up at Bluffton's town hall

  • Sep 30Wed · 1:00 pm
    GeneralDevelopment Review Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 1Thu · 10:00 am
    GeneralAffordable Housing Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 5Mon · 4:00 pm
    GeneralHistoric Preservation Review Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 6Tue · 6:00 pm
    GeneralBoard of Zoning AppealsTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 7Wed · 1:00 pm
    GeneralDevelopment Review Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Oct 7Wed · 6:00 pm
    GeneralHistoric Preservation Commission MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗

Recent meetings

  • Sep 29Tue · 4:00 pm
    GeneralPublic Arts Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 28Mon · 4:00 pm
    GeneralHistoric Preservation Review Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 23Wed · 6:00 pm
    GeneralPlanning Commission MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Agenda ↗Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 23Wed · 1:00 pm
    GeneralDevelopment Review Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 22Tue · 4:00 pm
    GeneralConstruction Board of Adjustments and Appeals MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 21Mon · 4:00 pm
    GeneralHistoric Preservation Review Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 17Thu · 9:00 am
    GeneralBeautification Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗
  • Sep 16Wed · 1:00 pm
    GeneralDevelopment Review Committee MeetingTheodore D. Washington Municipal Building, Henry “Emmett” McCracken Jr. Council Chambers, 20 Bridge Street Meeting page ↗

Official listings from Bluffton's agenda portal ↗, checked daily. Times are local. Agendas can change up to the meeting, so check the portal before you go.

Town budget

Where Bluffton's money goes

Spent
$33.6 million
fiscal year to June 30, 2024
Per resident
$975
typical South Carolina cities: $2,655
Long-term debt
$18.6 million
$539 per resident
Police
$10.6 million32%
Administration & buildings
$8.4 million25%
Parks & libraries
$4.9 million15%
Sewer & trash
$2.8 million8%
Courts, inspections & corrections
$1.4 million4%
Interest on debt
$701,0002%
Roads & transportation
$383,0001%
Other
$4.5 million13%

Where the money comes from

  • Other taxes & licenses 35%
  • Property taxes 31%
  • Sales taxes 14%
  • From the state 8%
  • Fees & charges 5%
  • Interest, fines & other 3%
  • From other local governments 2%
  • From the federal government 2%
Town workforce

Who works for Bluffton

Full-time staff
147
18 part-time too
Average full-time pay
$79,600
a year, before benefits
Sworn police officers
56
full-time, with power of arrest
Police
67 full-time9 part
Administration & buildings
32 full-time8 part
Sewer & trash
9 full-time
Courts, inspections & corrections
3 full-time1 part
Other
36 full-time

Staff on the town's payroll in March 2025. Pay is March payroll times twelve, so it's approximate.

Schools · school year 2023–24

Beaufort County School District

Bluffton's K–12 school district, shared with Beaufort, Hilton Head Island, Port Royal and Yemassee. It is its own government, with a budget separate from the town's.

Spending per pupil
$17,357
South Carolina: $15,090
Students
21,489
in the whole district
Long-term debt
$447.6 million
at year end

Where the district's money comes from South Carolina districts overall: 45% local, 43% state, 13% federal

  • Local 65%
  • State 29%
  • Federal 6%

Of the $17,357 per pupil, $10,143 goes to classroom instruction (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to support services such as buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren't in the per-pupil figure.

Property tax

What homeowners in Bluffton pay

Typical tax bill
$2,988
a year · South Carolina typical $1,251
Effective rate
0.61%
of home value · South Carolina 0.48%
Typical home value
$492,100
owner-occupied

The median yearly bill homeowners report, covering every local property tax on the home (town, schools, county). The effective rate is that bill divided by the median home value, so it's a rough guide, not the official tax rate.

Local

Contact Bluffton's government

🏛️ Official websitetownofbluffton.sc.gov ↗

Town hall & decisions in Bluffton →

Beyond town hall

Who represents Bluffton

Bluffton is represented in Congress by Senators Tim Scott and Darline Graham and Representative Nancy Mace. Henry McMaster is governor.

All of Bluffton's representatives, with contacts →

Budget: U.S. Census Bureau, 2022 Census of Governments: Finance (every city and town government's revenue, spending and debt, grouped into plain categories). Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 5-year estimates.

The coffee’s on

Where to, neighbor?

You’re in Bluffton, SCView boundary

Nearby

All towns & citiesExplore the map
Loading boundary…

Bluffton is your selected town. The feed includes posts assigned to this town, not a distance radius or ZIP code.

Neighborhoods narrow the feed further, while townwide announcements, events, and issues remain visible.

Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01