Chas. County center to end some services

Some of the services provided at the George W. Tumbleston Service Center, more commonly known as the St. Paul's Service Center or the Ravenel Service Center, will end after 5 p.m. on Friday. The center is located at 5962 Highway 165 in Ravenel.

Charleston County is making the changes in an effort to reduce costs and maintain countywide efficiencies, according to a press release. Citizens who need to access the services may go to the North Area Service Center at the Lonnie Hamilton, III Public Services Building (4045 Bridge View Drive; North Charleston, SC 29405) or visit the Charleston County Web site at www.charlestoncounty.org.

Also, the Treasurer and Auditor Offices will continue to provide services at the East Cooper Service Center located at 1189 Iron Bridge Road in Mount Pleasant, and in downtown Charleston at the County Office Building at 101 Meeting St.

Charleston County personnel from the below offices will be reassigned to other County service centers with more need for staff.

The following services will no longer be available:

Treasurer's Office:

--Accepting tax payments

--Issuing receipts

--Answering tax payment questions

--Collecting child support payments

--Accepting applications for the Charleston County Assessor's Office

Auditor's Office

--Providing tax bills

--Registering residents for Homestead Exemptions

--Accepting applications for the Charleston County Assessor's Office

--Accepting voter registration applications

--Processing personal property tax appeals

--Processing mailing address changes

--Collecting and depositing fees and issuing 45-day vehicle license plate tags

--Researching and resolving property tax issues

--Processing returned license plates and other refunds

--Processing military and S.C. Department of Revenue exemptions

--Processing four and six percent applications for recreational vehicles

Building Services Department

--Processing plan reviews for commercial and residential properties

Planning Department

--Assisting with zoning and answering zoning questions

--Processing zoning, building and S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control applications

--Issuing zoning and building permits for residential uses

The Magistrate's Court, the Sheriff's Office Ravenel substation and Emergency Medical Services substation 14 will continue to be housed at the facility, along with the Ravenel Town Hall.

The St. Paul's Service Center opened in 1994. The property was donated by the town of Ravenel plus $150,000. Charleston County government was responsible for the design and construction costs of the 10,500-square-foot center.

Charleston County is working with the town of Ravenel to negotiate a lease agreement for the approximately 2,500 square feet of space that will be available when county staff is relocated.