As the annual city of Beaufort retreat continues, City Council is focusing on future finances, communication and economic development.

Presentations this week by finance director Kathy Todd and Beaufort County assessor Ed Hughes fed a lengthy discussion Wednesday afternoon about how officials can grapple with the financial challenges ahead.

The city, in an attempt to offset increased costs for maintaining streets and stormwater systems, raised stormwater fees by $40 last summer, a move expected to bring in about $305,355.

But the pending reassessment, and the end of a special tax district in which revenue paid for services in the downtown district could both have negative effects on city revenue.

Mayor Billy Keyserling wants representatives from the city, town of Port Royal, town of Bluffton, Hilton Head Island and Beaufort County to discuss financial issues they're all dealing with.

“If we have four of us sitting down with the county... we can use this opportunity to begin to change some of the (problems) we've known all along,â€