Will Daufuskie ferry users pay more next year?

Beaufort County will continue to subsidize ferry service for people traveling to and from Daufuskie Island under a contract approved last month, but users of the service might have to pay more after the new year, said Morris Campbell, director of the county's Community Services Division.

The county pays private firms to take travelers with special ID cards, such as property owners and residents, to Daufuskie, which is accessible only by boat, from two locations on Hilton Head Island.

The county recoups some of its expenses through fees, which range from $2 per trip for students or seniors to $7 for people who own property on Daufuskie but don't live there.

Those amounts might increase after Dec. 31, however, once county officials are updated on the number of people riding the ferries, Campbell said.

"It's looking very, very challenging," Campbell said. "There's a good chance we're going to have the change the fee schedule."

Fee increases might be necessary if ridership is high enough that the county needs to supplement the $125,000 it budgeted this year for ferry service, Campbell said. That figure includes $75,000 from the county and $50,000 from the state.

The new contract calls for the county to pay $13.50 per passenger to J & W Corp. and $13 per passenger to Palmetto Ferry Co. The contract is for eight months, and the county will have the option to renew for four more years.

Under its previous contract, the county paid $10 per passenger to J & W and $13 per passenger to Palmetto.

That contract expired in June and had been continued on a month-to-month basis, Campbell said.