Residents divided over Charleston County sales tax referendum

CHARLESTON COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD) – Charleston County residents gathered with a former North Charleston mayor Monday to discuss a sales tax referendum that would provide funding for county transportation projects.

Those in favor of the proposed tax joined former Mayor Keith Summey to discuss why the tax must pass.

The referendum, which will be on the Nov. 11 general election ballot, will ask voters to approve a half-cent transportation sales tax. Officials say this referendum is not new but a continuation of an approved 2004 sales tax that is set to expire.

The county estimates the tax would generate $5.4 billion for various infrastructure projects, including the Mark Clark (I-526) extension.

According to Citizens for Safe Roads, the referendum addresses more than just extending the Mark Clark Expressway; it is also about making the county safer.

“$1,200 a year is what it roughly comes to per family in Charleston County if we were to vote yes on this,” said a referendum opponent, Adam Friend. “You do the math, that’s almost 25 plus thousand dollars a family, and that’s just we’re tired of it. They don’t do what they say, and we’re standing up against them.”

Summery said at the meeting that the tax would allow officials to make the entire community a better place for everyone.