The county wants $1B to fix and build roads. Voters may be voting yes or no in November
The Beaufort County Council is betting residents will look past its trust and transparency issues with the county, voting on second reading Monday night to ask the community to approve an additional one percent tax for the next 10 years with promises to improve traffic and road conditions. The council is hoping to raise $950 million to fund 11 separate projects.
The council had initially planned to ask for the tax for the next 15 years but voted to lower its ask after the plan received push back from residents. The simple math of the proposal would cost each of the 198,000 county residents $4,800 over the 10-year period.
They want to spend the tax money on transportation projects across the county but with a majority of funds headed to southern Beaufort County. Nearly half the funds, $435 million, would be dedicated to SC 170 and US 278 alone, a hot spot for accidents.
Revenue would be collected through a 1% sales tax on goods and services.
Introducing the idea of a “replacement tax”
The county’s current sales tax rate is 7%. Six percent goes to the state and 1% goes to buying and preserving county green space. County officials are calling this new transportation infrastructure tax a “replacement tax” since it will begin when the current green space 1% ends. If approved, the tax would keep the rate at no less than 7% until 2035.
If the measure is defeated in the November election, the county’s sales tax rate should return to 6% after the end of the green space local tax. The tax rate change from 6% to 7% is a 16% increase.
The green space penny is required to end on May 1, 2025, but could end sooner if it reaches its cap of $100 million. So far, $59 million has been raised since the county began collecting the penny in May of last year. The county predicts the tax will lapse early, in December of this year.
A referendum, which would be on all Beaufort County residents’ ballots this election season, would ask the county to tax itself at 1% for 10 years or until $950 million is raised. To pass, the referendum would need a simple majority of Beaufort County voters to say “yes” in November.
The $950 million would be allocated as follows:
$245 million for the SC 170, US 278 and Argent Blvd triangle
- A separate $190 million for the US 278 corridor projects
- $40 million for Lady’s Island corridor projects
$95 million for greenbelts
$80 million for mass transit
- $75 million for Ribaut Road improvements
- $20 million for SC 46 improvements
- $55 million for safety projects
- $50 million for dirt road paving
- $50 million for resurfacing and preservation
- $50 million for pathway projects
Historically, voters in the county have defeated initiatives that propose sales tax increases. Since 1990 only four out of nine sales have been approved. The last successful transportation referendum was passed in 2018. It collected $120 million between 2019 and 2021.
Clarification: This article initially claimed the final reading was held at Monday night’s council meeting. The first paragraph has been updated to reflect the correct sequencing of the referendum vote. Having been amended by council, the ordinance returned for a second reading Monday night. The third and final reading will be at the next county council meeting on June 24. If approved on third reading, the question will be on the ballot in November.
This story was originally published June 12, 2024 at 12:17 PM.
