You’d think it would be hard to miss $7 billion.

But S.C. lawmakers have been doing just that for years when it comes to a large part of the state budget known as “other funds.”

The other funds category, which makes up at least one third of the state’s approximate $20 billion total budget, includes fees, fines and penalties collected by state agencies, as well as revenues from the sale or rental of state property.

Those funds often are designated for specific programs.

In comparison, general funds, which are supported mainly by corporate and individual income taxes and sales taxes, typically have the fewest strings attached. Federal funds make up the other third of the budget, and usually require a state match and come with restrictions set by Washington.

Although fees and fines have long been tapped as revenue sources in South Carolina, there is still much secrecy and confusion surrounding their use.

Lawmakers routinely approve other funds with little, if any, scrutiny, in adopting the budget. And under state law, agencies have several ways they can slip in fee increases without much review.

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