Few Residents Knew About the “Public Hearing” on Sales Tax Increase Referendum
Advocates of an increase in the Greenville County Sales tax are embarrassed and angry. Both the special interest tax advocates and members of County Council were stunned by the revelation by the South Carolina Tax Commission last week that the Sales tax referendum on the ballot in November, if passed, would include a 1 cent tax on food.
Joshua Cook of “NoTax Hike
SC.com” informed The Times Examiner, Monday, Oct. 6, that he had confirmed that the sales tax proposal would include food.
Many county residents had received a brochure from the SC Association of Realtors® stating that food and medicine are exempt from the one cent transportation sales tax.
The Times Examiner went to press early Tuesday with the information provided by Cook and verified by other sources.
During the Tuesday evening meeting of County Council, Robert G. “Butch” Taylor informed Council of the information contained in the newspaper story. All members of Council appeared surprised. Later it was determined that the County Administrator and one or two Council members knew that the public had learned about the proposed tax on food and were attempting to get it changed in Columbia.
The majority of Council members knew nothing about it and even some of the members who supported the referendum were surprised.
The newspapers containing the information were delivered to the US Postal Service Bulk Mail point prior to 5 p.m. on Tuesday and subscribers expect to receive the paper locally on Wednesday.
In recent years the Postal Service has been excellent. This time something went wrong. The office phone began ringing Thursday morning. The first call came from Greer Zip Code 29650. “I got no paper yesterday or today. Is something wrong. Did you publish this week?”
The calls continue into Friday from most areas with a 296 Zip Code. Only Taylors and Greenville 29609 where the newspaper office is located seemed to be unaffected.
A call to Bulk Mail got a quick response. “They must have been sent to Greensborough.” Monday is a holiday and they will probably be delivered Tuesday, was the only assurance.
A representative from Americans for Prosperity announced at a Greenville Tea Party meeting Thursday night, October 9, that a public hearing on the sales tax referendum was set for Tuesday, October 14. The hearing was included in a schedule of meetings issued by County Council, Friday afternoon. Only then did most Council members know about the public hearing and, since it was sponsored by the Election Commission and publicized in a small paid legal notice in the daily newspaper, most citizens will not know about the hearing until it is over. At the end of last week more than 300 individuals had voted absentee at County Square without knowing about the food tax.
Promises will be made, however, it is not likely that the issue will be permanently settled before the November 4 election.
STATEMENT BY COUNCIL MEMBERS
Three councilmen opposed placing the tax increase referendum on the ballot. Joe Dill, Willis Meadows and Sid Cates issued a statement Friday containing eight clarifying statements regarding the proposed tax referendum. They concluded by stating that they want “every voter in the County to know the (following) facts before they cast their votes on November 4th.” The Councilmen plan to vote “NO” on the Referendum.
1. Only 44.6 percent of the proposed $673 million sales tax increase will go to fixing pot holes and resurfacing roads.
2. Only 4.5 percent will be spent to repair bridges.
3. The 17 percent sales tax increase will be the largest tax ever proposed for Greenville County. The Greenville County budget will increase 30 percent due to the sales tax increase.
4. Of the $300 million allocated for resurfacing roads, 45 percent will be spent to fix pot holes
and to resurface state, NOT county roads.
5. The state has the money to repair its roads in Geenville County but the money is being spent in other areas of the state.
Gov. Haley has stated: “We don’t have to raise taxes to do it. The money is there to repair our roads.”
6. The proposed one cent tax for roads will tax food. This will hurt the most vulnerable, the low income and middle class, as a larger percentage of their income will be spent on sales tax.
7. The $72 million estimated to be raised each year will place an average of over $300 tax burden on every house hold in Greenville County.
8.Over $12.5 million of the sales tax collected will be spent outside Greenville County.
