In an effort to help prevent the spread of coronavirus, county offices located at the County’s Administration Building, located at 212 S. Lake Drive, Lexington, will no longer allow the general public to enter until further notice. The following offices will provide services under these adjusted operations:

• Lexington County Treasurer’s Office:

o The Treasurer’s Office is encouraging citizens to make their tax payments by one of the following methods:

§ Mailing a check/money order to our office at 212 South Lake Drive, Suite 101, Lexington, SC 29072

§ Deposit a check/money order payment in our drop box located at the front of the County Administration Building.

§ Making the payment online at www.lex-co.sc.gov

o Regardless of the payment method selected for vehicle renewal bills, the DMV will mail the vehicle decal, registration and tax receipt within five to seven business days.

o If residents feel that they must that they must conduct business in the Treasurer’s Office, please contact:

§ Vehicle tax payments: (803) 785-8217

§ All other property tax payments: (803) 785-8345

· Lexington County Auditor’s Office:

o The Auditor’s Office will be accepting phone calls, emails, faxes and mail.

o Residents can also submit the following documents via a drop box is available outside of the County’s Administration Building:

§ New purchase of motor vehicle – COPY of title (front and back) or COPY of bill of sale

§ New Lexington County Residence (motor vehicle registration) – COPY of title or COPY of out of state registration, with proof of residence (COPY of S.C. driver’s license, utility bill, etc.)

§ New purchase watercraft – COPY of title (front and back) or COPY of bill of sale

§ Refund – Proof of sale, along with SCDMV Form 5051, proof of the license plate surrender

o Appeals process – Please visit www.lex-co.gov/departments/auditor for details, or contact the Auditor’s Office directly at (803) 785-8181.

o License plate transfer – Contact Auditor’s Office directly (803) 785-8181

o Change of address – Visit www.lex-co.gov/departments/auditor for details

o Homestead – Visit www.lex-co.gov/departments/auditor for details

o Fax: (803) 785-8538

o Email: [email protected]

· Lexington County Sheriff’s Department:

o Non-emergency calls for service related to incidents that have already happened will likely be handled by telephone call from a deputy, rather than an in-person meeting. On-duty supervisors will decide if a deputy responds in person or with a phone call, based on the nature of your call for service. Our follow-up and next steps when it comes to investigating cases generating during these telephone calls will not change.

o We will continue to respond to emergency calls for service involving crimes in progress or other incidents threatening someone’s well-being or life following standard procedure.

o This slight change reduces the risk of deputies spreading germs to individuals and locations across the county. Working together during these unusual conditions, we can slow the spread of germs and help keep community members and first responders safe and healthy.

o There are other temporary changes to ways of handling some county transactions we want to make sure you’re aware of:

o By order of Gov. McMaster, video visitation calls from the visitation area of the Lexington County Detention Center have been suspended. As always, remote video visitation calls are available from off-site locations.

· Lexington County Emergency Services:

o We are taking appropriate actions to ensure the health and wellness of all Lexington County Emergency Service personnel to ensure our services meet the expectations that our residents have come accustomed to.

· Lexington County Magistrate, Summary and Municipal Courts:

o The S.C. Supreme Court Justice has issued a memorandum for the court systems in relation to COVID-19. The courts will be following the direction of the Supreme Court Justice.

o Bond Court will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 2 p.m. until further ordered by the S.C. Supreme Court. In an effort to prevent the spread of COVID-19, only attorneys and victims will be allowed inside of the courtroom.

o The Magistrate Court will continue to provide daily services to those who need it. If you have business to conduct with the Magistrate Court, please call (803) 785-2140.

· Lexington County Community Development:

o Commercial and Residential Project submittals (Zoning, Landscape, Subdivision, and Land Development) may be made online via email at [email protected]. Hard copies of large documents can be submitted to the drop box located at the entrance to the Lexington County Administration Building. For questions, please contact the Development Services or Land Development Division at (803) 785-8121.

o Building Permit submittals may be made online using www.BuildingDepartment.com, or via email at [email protected]. Hard copies of large documents can be submitted to the drop box located at the entrance to the Lexington County Administration Building. For questions, please contact the Building Inspections and Safety Division at (803) 785-8130.

o All forms and applications associated with plan and plat review, including over-the-counter plat approvals are located on our departmental website at https://lex-co.sc.gov/departments/community-development.

o Community Development Block Grant Program information for programs such as Disaster Recover, HOME, First Time Homebuyers, and Housing Rehabilitation, should be submitted via email to [email protected]. If electronic services are not available, information may be mailed to our office or placed in the appropriate Community Development drop box with project and building submittals. For questions, please contact the Grants Division at (803) 785-8121.

· Lexington County Register of Deed’s Office:

o Public users of the Register of Deed’s Office – Abstractors, attorneys, title insurance companies:

§ All users should utilize the ROD’s online search services instead of visiting the office to make copies of deeds, plats and any other documents needed for personal or business searches.

§ Any document that is needed that is not available online, you may reach out to the office for a copy, but ensure that there are funds in all drawdown accounts. These costs are not being waived by the ROD’s Office.

§ Inquiries regarding the balances of drawdown accounts can be submitted to [email protected], or by calling (803) 785-8168.

§ All checks for drawdown accounts can be mailed to:

· County of Lexington, 212 S. Lake Drive, Suite 301, Lexington, S.C. 29072

· Please write “Drawdown Account” on the subject line

· If you need to set up a drawdown account, please email [email protected]. Funds will need to be received prior to using the email option of receiving copies.

o Documents that need to be recorded should be done so by using the e-recording option. If you are unable to submit documents via e-recording, mail the documents to the ROD’s office.

§ If you are not a current user of the e-recording process, we would recommend reviewing which vendor could best meet your recording needs. Below are the three vendors we have integrations with for e-recording. You may email our office at [email protected], or call us at (803) 785-8307.

· Corporation Service Company (CSC): www.erecording.com

· EPN : www.goepn.com

· Simplifile: www.simplifile.com

§ E-recording is NOT an option for individuals/citizens. You must be a business and your business will be vetted prior to setting up an account with one of the vendors. We ask if you are mailing in documents that you ensure a self-addressed stamped envelope is enclosed.

· Lexington County Veterans Affairs Office:

o In-person visits and meetings are cancelled. Limited staff offering services on a daily basis. Veterans are encouraged to call the Veterans Affairs Office at (803) 785-8400.

· Lexington County Public Library:

o All branches closed to public until April 3, 2020. Library cards and materials will automatically be renewed. Fines will be waived. Please refrain from returning books while the library is closed. Online resources are available 24/7 including ebooks, audiobooks, movies, databases and more. Reference services are available by phone and email. Use the Ask-A-Librarian service by phone at (803) 785-2681, or email at [email protected]. Visit www.lexcolibrary.com for more information.

· Lexington County Solid Waste Management:

o All Solid Waste Management operations will continue on a normal schedule, including the County’s Recycling and Collection Centers. Residents are asked to be patient with curbside collection services as pick-up days may be impacted by staffing levels due to COVID-19.

· Lexington County Museum:

o The Lexington County Museum will be closed to the public until further notice.

· Red Bank Crossing:

o Although the Red Bank Crossing facility is under the directive of the County of Lexington, all of the agencies inside of that facility are under the administration of their respective state agencies.

Additionally, the Planning Commission meeting, scheduled for March 19, is also canceled.