Capital Project Sales Tax passes for Greenwood County

Greenwood County’s capital project sales tax will continue for the next seven years when the 2016 tax comes to an end in 2025.

As the 2016 tax approached the end of its run, voters were once again asked to keep the penny tax in place to fund new projects.

Voters supported the referendum with 18,299 votes in favor of extending the 1% sales tax and 10,367 opposed.

The 2016 tax has collected over $77 million; $44 million has already been spent on the previous 27 projects. Nine of these projects have been completed.

This is not a penny on top of a penny tax.

The 2024 tax will have collected funds for a new set of projects. Only funds raised after the approval of the new referendum can be used toward the new list of projects.

About $121 million is projected to be collected over the next seven years. The tax will be used to enhance public safety, economic development, infrastructure enhancements and renovations to buildings throughout Greenwood County.

Applications were made by groups across the county for potential projects to fund.

Five subcommittees were formed to review all of the applications. 40 applications were submitted. Out of those 40 applications, 27 of the projects are actually on the project list for the 2024 ballot.

According to the 2024 ballot, one of the biggest investments includes about $28 million to implement a new Fire Service Master Plan throughout Greenwood County.

The apparatus fleet (any vehicle that has been customized for use during firefighting operations) will be replaced throughout the county. Eighteen of the 24 vehicles used will be replaced with newer models. Because these models are bigger and wider than most of the existing fire stations, the 2024 CPST would fund building new stations in Promised Land, Hodges-Cokesbury, Lower Lake on Highway 702, Epworth Phoenix, and an addition to Station 1 at the recreation complex.

Water tanks with a 30,000-gallon capacity will also be added at Station 90 (Callison), Station 95 (Tri-County), Station 21 (Highway 221), Station 62 (Carter Road) and Station 70 (Epworth Phoenix) where there are no fire hydrants. This will enhance the ability to respond to residential fires in the portions of the county without hydrants.

The other big investment focuses on the youth in the county. A little over $10.5 million will be matched to build a new Career Center on the Piedmont Technical College campus in Greenwood. Associate Vice President for PTC Rusty Denning said this campus will have programs strictly offered in high school, for high school students across the county.

Funding will also go toward repairs to nine bridges, replacements at wastewater plants in Ware Shoals and Ninety Six, repairs for government facilities, upgrades to Greenwood County recreation complexes, and lighting and security improvements to Lander University’s Jeff May Complex, to name a few.

Originally Published by Index-Journal on: Nov 5, 2024

By STAFF REPORTS

Article Link: https://www.indexjournal.com/elections/capital-project-sales-tax-passes-for-greenwood-county/article_8c7f039a-97c8-11ef-aedd-938626e63221.html