Beaufort County’s sales tax to drop to 6% in 2022 with road, bridge improvements underway
Beaufort County’s sales tax will drop to 6% from 7% beginning in January, ending the transportation tax voters approved in 2018 to fix roads and bridges.
The referendum three years ago added a penny to the sales tax collected in the county, meaning purchasers would pay one cent more on every $1 of taxable goods. Now that the $120 million goal has been achieved, the tax is being rolled back. So, for example, a $50 item in Beaufort County that this year cost $53.50, including tax, would be $53 in 2022, saving the purchaser 50 cents.
Of the $120 million raised since May 2019, $80 million was earmarked for the U.S. 278 corridor to Hilton Head Island; $30 million went toward improvements to Lady’s Island roads; and $10 million was budgeted for upgrades to sidewalks and paths.
“In accordance with state law, any money collected over the $120 million amount approved by voters will be used to offset increased construction and labor costs for the Lady Island traffic projects and sidewalk and pathway projects,” said County spokesperson Chris Ophardt.
The improvements to the U.S. 278 corridor will run from Moss Creek Drive on the mainland to Spanish Wells on Hilton Head Island. The projects are designed to reduce congestion and increase capacity as well as make structural improvements to the eastbound lanes of Mackay Creek bridge. The final review is pending to begin construction.
On Lady’s Island, nine separate projects are planned to ease traffic conditions, and some will increase bike safety in certain areas. They were developed as part of the 2017 Lady’s Island Corridor Study.
One of the projects, the addition of a right-turn lane to ease morning rush hour at Sam’s Point Road and U.S. 21 business route, is finished. Seven projects are in the final design phase, including Airport Frontage Road, Sunset Boulevard and Miller Drive West, as well as an extension of Meadowbrook Drive to Dow Roads.
Three projects in the final design phase — Beaufort High School access, Hazel Farm Road and Gay Drive, and Lady’s Island Middle School access — will make it safer for bicyclists. These changes include pedestrian and bicycle facilities on both sides of the Beaufort High School access, and pedestrian accommodations along Inlet Road.
The Lady’s Island project in predesign and environmental review is an extension of Mayfair Court to William Street which, according to the county site, will be coordinated with property owners.
Average car counts along U.S. 21 Business/ Sea Island Parkway and U.S. 21 / Lady’s Island Drive increased from 18,400 in 2009 to 21,550 in 2019, according to a traffic study of Lady’s Island. If no changes are made to ease traffic conditions, congestion will continue to increase, the county said.
The sidewalks and pathways project encompassed 24 multi-use pathways, and the county named 14 of them as priority pathways.
Priority Pathways by district
▪ District 1: Stuart Point Road and Big Estate Road
▪ District 2: Middle Road
▪ District 3: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Road and Meridian Road
▪ District 4: Broad River Drive, Ribaut Road to Parris Island Gateway and Depot Road
▪ District 5: Salem Road/Old Salem Road, Broad River Boulevard/ Riley Road and Burton Hill/ Old Salem Road
▪ District 9: Burnt Church Road, Bluffton Parkway and Ulmer Road/ Shad Road
All eight of the approved pathways are in the design phase.
This story was originally published December 14, 2021 at 3:02 PM.