Capital sales tax question gets first look from County Council
After months of deliberation, the fate of a November referendum that would ask voters whether to spend $72 million on 27 projects rests in the hands of Greenwood County Council
On Monday, the body will give preliminary consideration to an ordinance that, if approved, will place a question on general election ballots seeking to add 1 percentage point to sales tax across Greenwood County to finance the plan. The Council can only vote for or against placing the referendum on the November ballot and can not modify it.
On June 20, the Capital Projects Sales Tax Commission presented its recommendation on the final slate of applications, ending a monthslong process that cut down an original list of 54 to the 27 now up for consideration.
“The commission wanted to make sure we included projects that impacted as much of Greenwood County as possible,” chairman David Tompkins said. “Some projects are extremely important for the growth and sustainability of Greenwood County. Quality of life projects, such as improving parks and recreation facilities, are important for our current citizens and helps attract and retain people to work and live in Greenwood County.”
Among them is $6.09 million for the construction of a manufacturing center on the campus of Piedmont Technical College in Greenwood, $14.2 million for the implementation of a fire service master plan that calls for building a public safety training facility, $8.4 million for continued development of the North Greenwood Industrial Park and $11.9 million for the widening of Highway 246 from its intersection with Highway 221 to Emerald Road.
“From my standpoint, the process worked as it should. The community brought forward a group of projects for consideration that covered most of Greenwood County,” Tompkins said. “The projects were reviewed in-depth by five committees and the chairs of each did a good job in looking at the projects from a holistic view.”
A second reading and public hearing on the referendum question is slated for July 19.
Originally Published by Index-Journal on:Jul 4, 2016
By ADAM BENSONabenson@indexjournal.com