Multiple North Carolina, South Carolina county ballots to include transportation tax
Voters in locales across the country will decide this fall on issues that include transportation funding.
Countywide questions to aid transportation work are slated for Nov. 8 ballots in multiple locations in the Carolinas.
Lexington County, S.C.
The fall ballot in Lexington County will include a question to boost road funding.
Voters in the county west of Columbia will decide in November whether to increase the county’s 7% sales tax to 8%.
The penny tax increase is estimated to raise about $56 million yearly for infrastructure improvement projects. After eight years, the tax is expected to raise $536 million for about 400 projects.
About $382 million would be allotted for countywide road improvement, repaving and resurfacing projects. Another $69.5 million would be made available for improving intersections.
Additionally, $7.98 million would be used for bridge construction and maintenance work. Money allotted for paving dirt roads would total $76.3 million.
Similar plan previously rejected
Pursuit of additional road funding is not unique to Lexington County voters. A similar plan, Ordinance 9, was rejected by voters in 2014. The plan included funding for recreational purposes.
This year’s pursuit is focused solely on road improvements.
Advocates say now might be a good time to pass additional transportation funding. They cite continued congestion issues as the county’s population continues to increase.
New Hanover County, N.C.
Fall ballots in Hanover County will ask voters whether to approve a quarter-cent tax to be used solely for transportation options that are alternatives to roadway use.
The coastal county that includes the city of Wilmington now collects a 7-cent sales tax on all purchased goods with exceptions.
Ballots will include a question on whether to increase the sales tax to 7.25% for transit, pedestrian projects, and rail realignment. The tax would not be applied to groceries, fuel and prescriptions.
The increase would raise an estimated $144 million over the next decade.
About $65 million would be designated to modernize public transportation. Another $23.1 million would be applied for rail projects. Additionally, bike and pedestrian infrastructure would collect an estimated $56 million. LL
More election coverage
Keith Goble, state legislative editor for Land Line Media, keeps track of transportation ballot questions across the U.S. Here are some recent articles by him.
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