Town of Sullivan's Island

What Town of Sullivan's Island does

The Town of Sullivan's Island is a municipal government operating under a council-administrator form of government for a 3.5-mile barrier island near the entrance of Charleston Harbor in Charleston County, South Carolina. The Town provides comprehensive municipal services to approximately 2,000 residents in roughly 1,000 households, including police, fire and rescue, water and sewer utilities, public works, planning and zoning, building permitting, municipal court, parks and recreation, historic preservation, and emergency preparedness. Its service portfolio is delivered through an integrated digital platform anchored by the official government website (sullivansisland.sc.gov) and supported by ArcGIS interactive dashboards and StoryMaps, Everbridge emergency notifications, TOSI Talks text alerts, Mailchimp newsletters, and SCDOT 511 traffic camera feeds. Revenue is generated through five primary streams: recurring property taxes on residential and commercial parcels, recurring water and sewer utility fees, one-time permit and license fees (building, business, dog, beach wedding, beach fire, special event), transactional municipal court fines, and managed federal/state grants from FEMA, EPA, SC Department of Archives and History, SCPRT, and Congressional appropriations. Select services are subject to fee-based pricing, including Beach Fire Permits ($150 resident / $300 non-resident plus refundable deposit) and Historic Property Marker Plaques ($400 one-time). The Town is currently executing an infrastructure modernization program covering stormwater improvements, beach and dune restoration, sea level rise adaptation planning, historic resources surveys, and recreation trail expansion, with several million dollars in grant funding supporting capital works. The entity was originally settled in the late 17th century by Captain Florence O'Sullivan and remains a small-town residential community with significant Revolutionary War and Civil War historical assets, including Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park.

Name

Town of Sullivan's Island

Legal name

Town of Sullivan's Island

Website

https://sullivansisland.sc.gov

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Town of Sullivan's Island is a municipal government providing comprehensive services — police, fire, water/sewer, public works, planning, permitting, and emergency preparedness — to approximately 2,000 residents on a 3.5-mile barrier island near Charleston Harbor, funded by property taxes, utility fees, permits, and federal/state grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Government Services

NAICS

Police Protection (922120), Fire Protection (922160), Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Regulation, Licensing, and Inspection of Miscellaneous Commercial Sectors (92615)

SIC

Sanitary Services (4950), Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works Departments (Streets, Bridges, Stormwater, Fleet, Maintenance) (BPAIALAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Stormwater Management & MS4 Compliance Services (BPALAMAL)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Public safety administration
• Stormwater infrastructure management
• Historic preservation programs
• Coastal resilience planning

Headquarters

HQ city

Sullivan's Island

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Property Taxes: Primary municipal revenue source from residential and commercial property owners on the island.
2. Permits and Licenses: Revenue from building permits, business licenses, dog licenses, beach wedding permits, special event permits, and beach fire permits.
3. Water and Sewer Services: Utility fees for water and sewer services provided to residents and businesses.
4. Municipal Court Fines: Revenue from traffic tickets and other municipal court fines and forfeitures.
5. Federal and State Grants: Grant funding from FEMA, EPA, SC Department of Archives and History, SCPRT, and Congressional appropriations for infrastructure and preservation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Town of Sullivan's Island is a municipal government providing core public services to approximately 2,000 residents on a 3.5-mile barrier island near Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. Services include police, fire & rescue, water & sewer utilities, public works, planning & zoning, building permits, code enforcement, municipal court, stormwater management, historic preservation, beach access, and emergency preparedness/notification. Revenue is generated through property taxes, permit and license fees, utility charges, court fines, and federal/state grants for infrastructure and preservation projects.

Product overview

The Town of Sullivan's Island operates a unified government services portal providing comprehensive municipal services to approximately 2,000 residents and visitors. The core platform is the official website (sullivansisland.sc.gov) which integrates with external notification systems (Everbridge, TOSI Talks), mapping platforms (ArcGIS Dashboards, StoryMaps), and traffic monitoring (SCDOT 511). Services are organized into modules including building permits, dog licensing, beach access permits, stormwater management, historic preservation, recreation facilities, and emergency notifications. The site also supports FOIA requests, municipal court functions, and water/sewer services. Key infrastructure projects (stormwater master plan, nature trails, resilience planning) are documented through interactive dashboards and mapping tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Official Government Website Portal
• TOSI Talks Text Alert System
• Everbridge Emergency Notifications
• Building Permits and Inspections
• Dog Licensing

Quantifiable outcome

• Stormwater infrastructure improvements reducing flooding in multiple basins across the island
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 August 2024Beach and Dune Restoration Supplemental Project between Station 28 1/2 and Thomson Park; 4,100 linear feet of beach restoration with 76,000 cubic yards of sand; Scheduled completion March 1, 2025; Dunes constructed to +14 ft NAVD elevation with 15 ft crest width
• Seamon Whiteside & AssociatescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerEngineering consulting firm contracted to develop comprehensive Stormwater Master Plan and Island-Wide Stormwater Infrastructure Improvement Strategy; Also working on multiple stormwater improvement projects including SCIIP
• Weston & Sampson / McCormick Taylor / Elko Coastal ConsultingcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting team contracted to develop FEMA BRIC Sea Level Rise Adaptation & Resilience Plan aligned with Comprehensive Plan 2018-2028; Project kicked off April 2024 with estimated completion summer 2025
• Charleston County Board of Voter RegistrationcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCounty agency conducting all municipal elections for Mayor and Town Council positions; Elections held first Tuesday in November of odd-numbered years
• IPW Construction Group, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor awarded interior demolition of Old Town Hall building at 1610 Middle Street (approximately 5,550 square feet)
• IPW Construction Group, LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerContractor selected for Cove Inlet Bridge renovation project including stabilization of eroded slopes, pervious path construction, and native plantings
• Newsouth Associates LLCminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm leading 2023 intensive-level Historic Resources Survey of up to 300 houses and structures; First comprehensive survey since 1986 with update in 2005-07
• Thomason and AssociatesminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerHistoric preservation consulting firm awarded contract to develop Historic District Design Guidelines for local and National Register Historic Districts and Historic Preservation Overlay District (HPOD)
• Friends of Battery LoganminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal 501c3 grassroots organization supporting renovation of Battery Logan historic artillery battery; Funded invasive species removal and vegetation management
• Fort Sumter and Fort Moultrie National Historical Park (NPS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Park Service unit located on Sullivan's Island; Connected to Nature Trail Phase II linking Fort Moultrie property to Sullivan’s Island Lighthouse

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Town of Mount Pleasant: Adjacent Charleston-area municipality connected to Sullivan's Island via the Ben Sawyer Bridge and Mount Pleasant Causeway (both featured in the Town's SCDOT 511 traffic integration). Provides broader public works, planning, and utilities services and is a frequent coordinating jurisdiction on regional stormwater and transportation issues.
• Town of Hilton Head Island: Larger South Carolina barrier island municipality providing a full municipal service portfolio. Operates at greater scale but with an identical mix of beach management, stormwater infrastructure, historic/environmental preservation, and public safety functions facing the same coastal climate risks.

Regional players

• Town of Wrightsville Beach: North Carolina barrier island municipality providing full municipal services to a small coastal population. Faces identical hurricane exposure, beach nourishment, and stormwater management challenges and operates a comparable council-administrator governance structure.
• City of Tybee Island: Georgia barrier island municipality operating the same municipal service portfolio (police, fire, public works, water/sewer, planning, court) for a similar small-population coastal community. Comparable scale and dependence on tourism and beach-related permitting.
• Town of Carolina Beach: North Carolina coastal barrier island municipality offering analogous municipal services to a small residential/tourism population, with comparable beach access permitting, stormwater infrastructure, and public works functions.

Direct peers

• City of Folly Beach: South Carolina barrier island municipality in Charleston County providing comparable municipal services to a small residential/tourism population. Faces identical stormwater, beach nourishment, and sea-level-rise pressures, and operates similar permitting, court, and water/sewer utilities.
• Town of Isle of Palms: Adjacent South Carolina barrier island municipality of comparable size serving the Charleston Harbor area. Provides the same slate of municipal services (police, fire, public works, water/sewer, building, planning, court) on a similar 3–4 mile barrier island with overlapping stormwater and beach access challenges, making it the most direct operational peer.
• Town of Seabrook Island: Small South Carolina barrier island municipality near Charleston with similar governance structure (council-administrator), population profile (~2,000 residents), and service mix including public safety, public works, and stormwater management.
• Town of Kiawah Island: South Carolina coastal barrier island municipality providing public safety, public works, and planning services to a small affluent residential base. Comparable scale of staff and budget, with similar reliance on tourism-related beach revenue and the same regulatory/preservation model.

Others

• Charleston County Government: County-level government that administers elections (Charleston County Board of Voter Registration handles Sullivan's Island municipal elections), funds programs like the County Greenbelt (Station 24 boardwalk grant), and coordinates regional stormwater, transportation, and emergency management — making it the principal intergovernmental peer and ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Town-of-Sullivans-Island-1233544683430911
• Instagraminstagram.com/sullivansislandofficial/?hl=en
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/town-of-sullivans-island

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Town of Sullivan's Island