Multiple South Carolina county ballots to include transportation tax
Ballots in two South Carolina counties will ask voters Nov. 8 whether to raise revenue via taxes for transportation purposes.
Berkeley County
Voters in Berkeley County will decide whether to extend the collection of a sales tax for transportation work.
The transportation tax was originally approved by voters in 2008 and was extended in 2014. The existing tax is scheduled to end next spring.
Passage of Question 1 in the county located north of Charleston would continue the penny tax for another seven years.
The transportation tax is estimated to raise up to $600 million for road widening and resurfacing, and other projects countywide.
Projects include implementing the second phase of widening U.S. Highway 176 from two to four lanes.
A second question will ask voters whether to issue $89 million in county obligation bonds from the special sales and use tax to fund projects described as providing “traffic and road condition solutions at a faster pace.”
Lexington County
The fall ballot in Lexington County also includes a question to boost road funding via a transportation sales tax.
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
The pursuit of additional road funding is not unique to Lexington County voters. A similar plan, Ordinance 9, was rejected by voters in 2014. The transportation tax 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. LL
More election coverage
Keith Goble, the state legislative editor for Land Line Media, keeps track of transportation ballot questions across the U.S. Here are some recent articles by him.
Related News
