Georgetown County voters to decide penny sales tax referendums in November

GEORGETOWN COUNTY, S.C. (WCBD)- Voters in Georgetown County will decide in November whether to approve two sales tax measures that officials say will provide property tax relief and fund various improvement projects throughout the county.

The county is one of three in South Carolina that does not have local sales tax, which officials said results in less money being available for community projects and a greater tax burden on local residents.

Last October, the county council proposed two penny sales tax measures — a local option sales tax and a capital projects sales tax — intended to shift some of the tax burden to visitors.

“Georgetown County has the opportunity to now get on the same footing as all the surrounding counties and help benefit our taxpayers,” said Walt Ackerman, the county’s director of administrative services. “The great thing about both of these initiatives is approximately 40 percent of the money that’s collected is collected from people who do not live here — whether it be tourists or just people driving through.”

Those proposals, which would add a 1-cent tax on every $1 spent on items subject to sales tax, will now be put before voters on the Nov. 5 ballot.

It would apply to purchased items already taxed under the state’s 6 percent sales and use tax. It would not apply to groceries, gasoline, prescription medications, and other tax-exempt items.

If approved, the taxes would take effect in May 2025.

Local Option Sales Tax (LOST)

The first referendum voters will decide on is whether to implement a 1-cent local option sales tax that officials estimate would generate $10 million per year, a majority of which would go toward property tax rollbacks.

According to officials, the tax would reduce property taxes on homes, boats, vehicles, and other property. 71 percent of the funds would go toward property tax relief while the remaining percentage would be used for government operations and projects.

The county has created a tool that residents can use to calculate how much their property tax bill would be reduced if the referendum is approved.

Capital Projects Sales Tax (CPST)

Voters will also decide whether to approve a separate 1-cent capital projects sales tax to fund nearly two dozen improvement projects.

Officials estimate the CPST would generate roughly $73 million for 22 predetermined road, bridge, public facility, recreation, and water and sewer projects.

About $36 million would be allocated to the Georgetown County Water and Sewer District for sewer installation projects and water system upgrades in multiple communities.

Another large chunk of the funding, roughly $10 million, would be used to construct new 911 and emergency operations centers, which officials said are urgently needed to meet growing demand.

Other projects include stormwater drainage and north jetty improvement on Pawleys Island, construction of a fire substation in Maryville, and two recreation facility projects in the county, among others.

The six-member committee that selected the projects also identified 19 additional projects that could be started if any funds remain after the primary projects.

If approved, the tax would be in place for eight years and could not be extended.

The county will hold five informational sessions for residents to learn more about the proposed referendums ahead of the election. More details on the meetings can be found here.