How will the school sales tax question look on November’s ballot?

The Beaufort County school board will discuss the language of its sales-tax referendum ballot question at a special-called meeting Tuesday afternoon.

The board will meet in executive session at 4:30 p.m. in the media center of the Beaufort County School District office, 2900 Mink Point Blvd. A public session will follow at 5:30 p.m., according to the agenda.

Residents will vote in November on a new 1 percent sales tax that, if approved, is expected to generate about $282 million over the next 10 years. About $217 million of the revenue would go toward capital projects, such as new schools, roof replacements and HVAC upgrades, and another $28 million would be shared with the University of South Carolina-Beaufort and the Technical College of the Lowcountry for their own building needs.

The tax would also reduce property owners’ taxes on debt service by one-third over the period of time the tax is in place.

In addition to voting on the language of the ballot question, the school board will take action on:

• A memorandum of agreement with USCB and TCL, pertaining to the sales tax referendum.
• A contract for a solar energy consultant.
• A proposed lease and facility-use agreement with the Town of Hilton Head Island and Hilton Head Island Recreation Association.

This story was originally published July 18, 2016 at 4:25 PM with the headline "How will the school sales tax question look on November’s ballot?."