Columbus County adds $20 million sports complex request to 2026 legislative needs list

The Columbus County Board of Commissioners approved its 2026 legislative needs list and voted to add a proposed sports complex request estimated at $20 million. County staff presented a list of capital requests that included senior-center supplemental funding ($200,000), a 15-passenger van for senior transportation ($60,000), a $5 million industrial shell building, an estimated $7.5 million demolition/renovation for the health department, water-district projects totaling $27.6 million, and a $3 million landfill debris-expansion request. With the $20 million sports-complex request added on motion, the chair read an updated total request of $63,360,000.

Commissioners acknowledged the possibility that not all requests will be funded by the state but said including the projects signals county priorities to legislative delegations. One commissioner asked that the sports-complex amount be placed on the legislative list even if funding is unlikely this year, to keep the project visible to state decision-makers.

The board approved the package by voice vote. Staff said they will transmit the consolidated list to the county's legislative delegation and follow up during the session with additional project detail as requested.