Hi neighbors—here’s a clear, fact-focused overview of what’s on the ballot and why it matters for our roads. This keeps a slight lean toward support, with full pros and cons so you can decide. There is quite a bit of negative and frankly wrong info out on Facebook especially. Feel free to reach out with any questions about information that is floating around.

Lancaster County at a glance

• Population (countywide):111,000
• Panhandle/Indian Land:45,000 residents

2026 county budget snapshot

• General Fund:$102 million (balanced). Click here to see summary.
• Public Safety & Law Enforcement:$45 million (44% of the General Fund)
• Public Works:$14 million (14% of the General Fund)
• Millage: No millage increase for county operations. The schools portion increased but the county portion of your tax bill saw a very minimal increase. Check your bill here.

🚧 What’s the Transportation Sales Tax?

Voters will decide on a 1% sales tax (from 8% to 9%) for up to 10 years to raise $253 million for roads and transportation projects across Lancaster County.

Of the $253M, $98 million will be for projects in the panhandle area (Indian Land) Highway 521, Henry Harris, Harrisburg, and Barberville Roads, which have been major congestion points for years. The entire county will benefit with projects throughout the county. Roughly $150 Million will be allocated to the roads south of Hwy #5 especially big impacts for City of Lancaster, Kershaw and Heath Springs. For a full list of all the projects as well as educational material going into more depth - click here.

✅ Pros (Why Support It?)

• Shared Burden: An estimated 30–35% of sales tax will be paid by non-residents (commuters, shoppers, visitors).
• Local Control & Transparency: Every project is listed on the ballot so voters know exactly where the money goes. Essentially a contract- those projects have to be done.
• Dedicated Funding Source: Lancaster currently has no reliable, long-term road funding stream. This provides 10 years of stability.
• No Property Tax Increase: Roads are not funded by property taxes in Lancaster. This avoids shifting the burden onto homeowners.
• Leverage for More Funds: Local “skin in the game” helps attract additional state and federal dollars, stretching funds further.
• Shorter, Smaller, Clearer: After voters rejected a larger 15-year, $405M proposal in 2024, this plan was reduced to 10 years, $253M, with all projects listed. It will be done after 10 years or 253M whichever comes first.

❌ Cons (Concerns Raised)

• Higher Sales Tax: Would raise Lancaster’s total sales tax to 9%, one of the higher rates in South Carolina.
• Distrust in Government Spending: Some worry about accountability or that funds won’t reach the promised projects.
• Already Paying Enough: Citizens already pay through state gas taxes, vehicle fees, and existing local sales taxes.
• State Responsibility: Some argue the state (SCDOT) should fund state-owned roads, not counties.

💵 Impact on the Taxpayer

• Current sales tax in Lancaster is 8% (6% state + 1% local option + 1% capital projects).
• If approved, the sales tax rises to 9%.
• What is a Local Option Sales Tax?: Property and vehicle owners receive a credit on their property tax bills from the 1% Local Option Sales Tax.
  • This means part of what residents pay in sales tax comes back as a property tax reduction each year on your vehicle and real estate property tax bills.
  • For many households, this offsets some of the burden from higher sales tax.

🗳️ Bottom Line

The transportation sales tax gives Lancaster County its first true dedicated road funding plan, with costs shared by residents and non-residents alike. While it means a higher sales tax rate, the proposal is smaller, time-limited, and more transparent than last year’s referendum.

What you pay (and where the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) credit fits)

• You pay to Lancaster County: property tax (home & vehicle), sales tax (in-store/online), hospitality tax (prepared food/hotels), and certain licenses/fees.
• Current sales tax: 8% (6% state + 1% Local Option Sales Tax + 1% capital projects tax).
• LOST credit: That 1% Local Option Sales Tax directly reduces your property tax bill. Look for a “LOST Credit” line—this is how sales activity (including from visitors) offsets what property owners would otherwise pay.

Roads: needs & costs

• The South Carolina Gas Tax is roughly 28 cents per gallon. South Carolina sets aside 4 cents (of the 28 cents) to return back to counties. In the last five years, Lancaster County has received 12.9 million from the SC Gas Tax to help service 1,400 miles in Lancaster County.
• South Carolina has the 30th most expensive gas tax in the nation with the 4th largest road miles to maintain in the nation.
• Existing sources (state gas tax/C-funds, vehicle fees, the current capital projects tax) help—but don’t keep pace with growth or larger corridor needs or frankly just the road network in Lancaster County. Lancaster has spent 46 million over the last 5 years from these funding sources.
• Property taxes do not fund roads in Lancaster County; dedicated road dollars come from other sources.

Exactly what’s on the ballot (two questions)

Question 1: A 1% special sales and use tax for up to 10 years to fund a specific, ballot-listed package of transportation projects (resurfacing, safety, intersections, widenings). Very transparent question as each project is listed within the question with dollars associated.

Question 2: Authority to issue up to $100M in bonds (paid back from the same 1% tax) so projects can start sooner. This does not raise the tax beyond 1% or increase the total program amount—it affects timing (with interest costs included inside the same revenue).

• If Question 1 fails, Question 2 cannot proceed.
• If Question 1 passes but Question 2 fails, projects still happen but more slowly.
• Check out your sample ballot here.

How developers fit in with Lancaster County roads

When a new private project adds traffic, developers often must build turn lanes, signals, and access improvements at their site/intersection through SCDOT permitting. Developers are required to use an independent third party to evaluate impact on traffic. These spot fixes help at intersections—but they rarely deliver multi-mile widenings or corridor-length resurfacing. Those larger jobs require public funding and long-range planning.

Exploring transportation impact fees (in certain areas)

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).

• 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 an impact fee study to be done on the county.

How to think about your vote

• Roads aren’t funded by county property taxes here. Without a dedicated sales tax, widenings/resurfacing don’t keep pace due to limited state and dedicated funding.
• The LOST credit softens the impact by shifting part of the burden from property owners to retail activity—much of it from non-residents. Check your tax bill for the LOST credit line.
• Specificity = accountability. Ballot-listed projects create a contract with voters.
• Two levers, two speeds. Question 1 creates the funding; Question 2 determines how fast we can begin if approved.

When to vote

• Early voting begins October 20th with election day on November 4th. Early voting at Del Webb Library, Indian Land Rec Center from 8:30 to 5pm M- F leading into November 4th.

Have questions?

Reach out to me by emailing -stuartforcouncil24@gmail.com​