Opposition Coalition Celebrated Victory with a Dinner of Chicken and Banana Pudding
Greenville County voters overwhelmingly rejected the “penny” sales tax increase planned and promoted by Greenville insiders and special interests.
The Greenville County Special Referendum received 41,982 votes in favor and 80,816 opposed – a virtual two to one margin. Fewer than a dozen precincts voted in favor of the tax hike. The precincts voting in favor were located in the city of Greenville.
There was a strong contrast between the Greenville City and the county voters. Slater Marietta voted more than three to one in opposition, while Skyland voters opposed the tax by a six to one margin (132 in favor and 789 opposed).
Advocates of the 17 percent sales tax increase had planned for use of the more than $60 million per year for more than a year. They were well-organized and heavily funded. The daily newspaper and other media editorialized in favor of the tax for months.
The original plan was to have the County Council vote for the tax. The majority of the Council would not accept responsibility for a decision and voted to allow the voters to decide and appointed a commission with a hand-picked chair to develop a wish list and hold meetings with small groups of citizens in various areas of the county.
The Greenville Chamber and other business and special interests began a massive effort to convince the voters of Greenville County to approve the ordinance that would add a penny to the sales tax.
As election time approached, there was no organized opposition to the tax increase. It was then that the newly formed local office of Americans for Prosperity stepped forward and formed the leadership and structure for a coalition of small citizen groups to represent citizens who would be victimized by an increase in sales taxes and could be misled by the misleading information cranked out by advocates and the supportive media.
For a while it appeared that the tax increase would pass easily. The editorials, slick brochures in the mail and other propaganda sounded so good.
The millions of dollars extracted from residents and visitors when they made retail purchases would be used to fix potholes in roads, save repairs on cars, provide safe streets, crossings and sidewalks for our children.
It would ease the traffic on Woodruff Road and attract more businesses and bicycle riders to Greenville. All the money would stay in Greenville County and there would be no tax increase on food or medicine.
Only three Council members opposed the tax hike. Willis Meadows, Joe Dill and Dr. Sid Cates worked with the opposition, while most of the Council majority worked with the advocates.
It was discovered that the tax would be on food. A scramble began to get the Legislature to change the law to cover the misinformation, lawmakers promised relief, but nothing could be done until next year.
It was determined that much of the repairs would be on state roads. Citizens are already paying taxes to maintain state roads and the funds are being spent elsewhere.
All the money would not remain in the county. Millions of dollars would go to the state for administration of the taxes and design fees.
As misleading and false information were exposed, the advocates on and outside Greenville County Council lost credibility with much of the voting public. The only media outlets reporting the negative side of the tax issue were WORD Radio and The Times Examiner.
Loss of this battle was a huge disappointment for paving contractors, real estate developers and realtors as well as bike clubs and environmentalist and other NGOs.
