GREENVILLE, S.C. — Greenville County is holding a series of 19 public information meetings to provide residents with information about the proposed 1% Transportation Sales and Use Tax that will appear on the November 3 ballot.
Greenville County Council voted to place the referendum before voters, who will decide whether to approve or reject the proposed tax.
According to Greenville County, 90 percent of revenue generated by the tax would go toward roads, 7 percent toward land preservation and 3 percent toward public transportation. The tax would expire after eight years or once $1 billion in revenue is collected, whichever occurs first.
What Would Be Exempt?
The additional 1% sales tax would not apply to:
- Groceries
- Medicine
- Prescriptions
- Gas
Greenville County also states that approximately 30 percent of the revenue is projected to come from visitors, based on research conducted by Clemson University. The County says revenue from the tax would be kept in a separate account, with revenues and expenditures tracked on a public-facing website and reviewed through an oversight process.
State-maintained roads may also appear on the project list because those roads are part of Greenville County's overall transportation network. County officials say having a dedicated transportation funding source may also help the County obtain additional state and federal funding.
Public Information Meetings
The meetings are intended to provide residents with information about the referendum, proposed projects and funding before voters make their decision in November.
The complete public meeting schedule, including meetings already held, is:
September 15 — Slater Hall Community Center, 12 p.m.
September 21 — Travelers Rest Library, 12 p.m.
September 22 — Brutontown Community Center, 10 a.m.
September 23 — Sterling Community Center, 6:30 p.m.
September 24 — Taylors Library, 6 p.m.
September 28 — Blue Ridge Library, 6 p.m.
September 29 — Travelers Rest Library, 12 p.m.
September 29 — Freetown Community Center, 6:30 p.m.
September 30 — Berea Library, 6 p.m.
October 6 — Fountain Inn Library, 12 p.m.
October 6 — Pelham Road Library, 6 p.m.
October 7 — Hughes Main Library, 6 p.m.
October 8 — Travelers Rest Library, 6 p.m.
October 12 — Fountain Inn Library, 10 a.m.
October 12 — Augusta Road Library, 6 p.m.
October 13 — Five Forks Library, 6 p.m.
October 14 — Anderson Road Library, 12 p.m.
October 14 — Simpsonville Library, 6 p.m.
October 21 — Mauldin Library, 6 p.m.
Greenville County says the tax revenue would be maintained in a separate account and that revenues and expenditures would be publicly tracked. County Council would ultimately adopt an annual project list during each budget year.
Residents can review the referendum information, proposed project list, interactive project map and additional details on Greenville County's Transportation Sales and Use Tax webpage.
