Lancaster County Newsletter
​📬 October 2025
Transportation Tax • Moratorium Update
Missed a county council meeting? - See below for recaps:
September 22nd, 2025​
​October 13th, 2025- Big item was moratorium.
🛣️ Transportation Sales Tax – Front and Center
Roads continue to be the #1 complaint I hear from residents across Lancaster County.
🗳️ Early voting starts October 20​
đź•Ł 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM at your usual early voting locations. Click here for more info.
📆 Election Day is November 4
- A 1% sales tax (on most purchases in Lancaster County)
- Lasts up to 10 years or until $253 million is raised
- Money will be used only for roads, paving, and intersections (all projects listed on ballot question)
📌 This is the most important link for information about the transportation sales tax: 👉 Click here for detailed info, FAQs, and everything!!
🔹 Why is the transportation tax back on the ballot?​
Because it’s important—and voters in Indian Land supported it 57% last time. The proposal is leaner, clearer, and directly addresses congestion on Highway 521, Harrisburg, Henry Harris, and Barberville.
❗Misinformation Alert: Let’s Clear Things Up
There’s a lot of non-factual content circulating on social media. If you're unsure about something—please reach out. I’ll always give you the straight answer or let you know if I need to research.
✅ Fact Check #1: County Taxes​
​Lancaster County taxes did not go up.​
Council intentionally "rolled back" millage to adjust for re-assessed property values to keep county operation revenue flat versus last year. In most cases, your county operations line item went down. Check your 2024 vs. 2025 tax bill to confirm. School taxes (not county taxes) increased. The Lancaster School District is its own entity. County Council has no jurisdiction over the schools.
✅ Fact Check #2: Developers & Roads​
​Developers do not pay for major road projects.​
Let me be clear—Lancaster County missed opportunities over the past 20 years to manage growth better. I share your frustration. I live here too.
South Carolina law makes it hard for counties to require developers to fund major infrastructure—especially roads.
🔧 A few recent projects that developers did pay for:
- Right-turn lanes (e.g., Doby’s Bridge Rd, River Rd)
- Intersections near Costco and Target
- Roundabouts at Henry Harris/Jim Wilson and Henry Harris/Shelley Mullis
- Soon: Turn lane at Hwy 521 & Jim Wilson
But when it comes to big fixes—like widening Hwy 521 or improving Henry Harris, Harrisburg, and Barberville—developer contributions fall far short. That’s why this sales tax is needed as an option.
Exploring transportation impact fees
South Carolina law allows local governments to adopt development impact fees for growth-related capital projects when tied to a capital improvements plan, service areas, and proportionate-share methodology (with credits/refunds as required). Click here for more info. I am only able to find one county in South Carolina that has transportation impact fees- Beaufort County. Lancaster does have impact fees in the panhandle related to schools, public safety and parks/recreation.
- What they can do: Make sure new development contributes to the added capacity it needs.
- What they can’t do: Fix historical backlogs by themselves (by law, they’re for growth-related needs).
How it fits with the Transportation Sales Tax:
- The 1% Transportation Sales Tax (Question 1) is countywide and time-limited—ideal for named corridors, resurfacing programs, and match dollars.
- Impact fees can be targeted to the highest-growth areas so new projects help fund their share of added capacity.
- Together with a short moratorium to finish the UDO, this is a practical “both/and” approach.
- I will be pushing to explore this option as the county as already approved a impact fee study to be done on the county.
🛑 Growth Pause: Council Passes 1st Reading of a Moratorium
On October 13, Council passed the 1st of 3 required readings for a 9-month moratorium on major residential subdivisions. It’s a pause, not a solution—and it only affects new applications in a specific area:
đź“Ť North of Highway 5 and West of Highway 521
🚧 This pause gives us time to:
- Finish the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) rewrite
- Complete the Impact Fee Study. I am pushing to make transportation impact fees part of this study.
- Explore partnership models for funding infrastructure improvements
🔎 Approved projects will continue. This only pauses new residential subdivision applications in the targeted area.
🙏 Thank You​
To the 50+ residents who spoke up in favor of the moratorium—in person or electronically—your voices mattered.
đź’¬ Have questions or need clarification on any of this?
My inbox is open. Simply respond to this email with your question/comment. I'm working hard for this county—and I'm always happy to talk.
đź“‘ Development Items for Lancaster County
Planning Commission – October 21, 2025​
​The highlights are below. Click for agenda for full details on the meeting.
🏛 Policy / Rezoning Items
(Require Planning Commission recommendation → Council action)
The Haven (Dooley Property)
- Applicant: Lennar
- Request: Rezone 604 acres from RN to MDR
- Purpose: MDR cluster overlay with roughly 900 houses
- Location: Hwy 521 (across from Roslyn development)
- Zoning Context: Adjacent areas are single-family residential and agriculture
- Click here for full details.
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Click here for the ways to speak to council on your concerns. It is extremely important to voice your concerns. Council does listen. The link will provide contact info and ways to speak up effectively.
If you missed earlier newsletter editions, click here to see all the previous months. Great way to share it with your friends and neighbors via email or social media.
👥 If you're part of a group that would be interested in having me attend a meeting to discuss county matters, don’t hesitate to reach out—I’m always happy to connect.
If you have any questions or concerns about the county, feel free to reach out: 803-804-6017 or simply reply to this email. You can also follow me on Facebook for more updates.
💬 I’m working hard for the county I grew up in and love. Your ideas, concerns, and encouragement are always welcome.
Thank you for staying engaged in our community!
Best,​
​Stuart
PS- If you missed clicking on the link related to transportation tax- click here for the most important info from this newsletter.
PSS- You can also share this link on social media!!