Roads Referendum Pivotal for Anderson County

Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

In November, Anderson County voters will be asked to decide on a referendum which could have a lasting impact on all citizens.

County council approved a referendum asking voters to approve a one-penny sales tax to repair and maintain the 1,576 miles of county-owned roads and bridges as well as the more than 200 miles of roads owned by the municipalities.

Groceries would be excluded from the tax which would generate an estimated $35 million annually, with 35-40 percent coming from out-of-county visitors/travelers, for road/bridges repairs/maintenance. The county has never had a sustained economic vehicle to take care of roads and bridges and it shows.

A study done last year, which evaluated every mile of roads in the county found that more than one-third are in failing or near failing condition. Nearly a third of county bridges are not safe for fire trucks or school buses to traverse and in need of serious updates and repairs.

Fixing roads is expensive, with the cost of repairing one-mile of road is close to $1 million. Bridges are even more costly to repair/maintain or replace.

Currently the county is in patch-and-save mode, since funding is limited. And sadly, no other sustainable funding source for roads and bridges is not in sight. County council has pieced together a variety of temporary funding sources and grants, but years of neglect requires more than some paving and putting band aids on many of our pocked, crumbling roads.

A number of national studies suggests that well-maintained roads more than offset the cost of vehicle fees in savings on tires, alignments and other mechanical repairs caused by poor roads. Improperly maintained roads are also to blame for injuries and deaths in vehicle accidents on the road each year. The average annual savings for drivers on well-maintained roads is estimated at $591.

The referendum, if approved in November by voters, would allow the county to completely repair and maintain roads for the first time in history.

There will be two referendum questions on the ballot. The first asks for

The first reads:

Question 1: “I approve a special sales and use tax in the amount of one percent to be imposed in Anderson County, South Carolina for not more than seven years to fund the following project or projects: Project (1) For improvements to highways, roads (paved and unpaved), streets, intersections, and bridges within Anderson County, South Carolina,

including related drainage system improvements. $366,000,000” Yes ___ No ___

The second reads:

Question 2 “I approve the issuance of not exceeding $15,000,000 of general obligation bonds of Anderson County payable from the special sales and use tax described in Question 1 above, maturing over a period not to exceed seven years, to fund a portion of the projects described in Question 1 above.” Yes ___ No ___

The funds will not be available for any use other than actual roadwork, and cannot be transferred to any other budget areas, including personnel.

A series of meetings countywide are being scheduled to educate citizens on the proposal. Deputy Administrator Matt Hogan talked with the Anderson Observer about this effort.