Latest news with #roadFunding
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lancaster voters to see another sales tax referendum for roads plan. What we know
Lancaster County is a step closer to a new 1% sales tax to fund roads, but only if voters approve it this time. Lancaster County Council voted 5-2 on Monday to put a sales-tax-for-roads proposal back on the ballot this November. It'll take two more council votes to finalize the decision. Last November, more than 52% of county voters rejected a new tax for roads. That proposal would've taxed sales for up to 15 years and generated up to $405 million. Now, the county would ask voters for a tax that would last 10 years or generate $253 million. All council members want the road funding option, but Councilman Steve Harper and Councilman Billy Mosteller had concerns about the timing. 'This is much needed,' Harper said. 'My biggest concern is eight months ago, my voters told me no on this. I just think it's one year too soon.' Mosteller has concerns that if county voters turn down the proposal this fall, it might never pass. County officials see the sales tax as a committed funding source for large road projects that doesn't exist there now, similar to the voter-approved Pennies for Progress program in York County. 'Our citizens said no in November, and it needs more time for planning and educating our citizens on what council is trying to do,' Mosteller said. With Lancaster County one of the highest-growth areas in the Charlotte and Southeast regions, though, other council members have concerns about waiting. Nearly half of voters last November voted for the new tax. 'They've been waiting on something like this for a very long time,' said Councilman Stuart Graham. The sales tax rate in Lancaster County would increase from 8% to 9% if voters approve the ballot question in November. The proposed road improvement list could change before the ballot is approved, but the $253 million figure wouldn't. The plan would put $98 million to major road widening like U.S. 521 and Henry Harris Road. Nine intersection improvements would cost $38 million. Another $20 million would go to four roundabouts, two of them on Shiloh Unity Road. The tax would generate $5 million for administration costs and $2 million for greenways and sidewalks. 'A program like this we would probably have to add on some more staff and have a manager of the project,' said Jeff Catoe, county public works director. The remaining $90 million would go to repaving. A proposed list has portions of 40 county or state roads, 51 in Lancaster, 32 in Kershaw and eight in Heath Springs. The ballot would have two related questions. One would ask voters if the county could charge the new tax, and the other would ask if the county could borrow money against that tax revenue if it passes. Borrowing would allow road work to start sooner than waiting for 10 years of tax collections would. November's ballot also would state which roads would be improved if the tax passes. Last fall, there were separate road plans that the tax would cover, but it wasn't attached to the ballot. 'We tried to be much more overt about what the projects are,' said County Administrator Dennis Marstall. A new tax campaign will have to overcome a stark split in support. Both the roads and a separate school bond that failed last November had proposals that focused heavily on high-growth Indian Land. The panhandle part of U.S. 521 got the bulk of attention, and would again this November. All 11 voting precincts north of Van Wyck opted to approve a new tax for roads last year. All 25 precincts south of Van Wyck voted against it. In the northernmost precinct, more than 63% voted in favor. In the three southernmost precincts, 67%-70% voted against. With a presidential election last year, voter turnout was much higher than it's likely to be this fall. Nearly 55,000 ballots were cast in November, for a nearly 80% voter turnout. The county continues to look for other road funding options in Indian Land. A recent application to the South Carolina Transportation Infrastructure Bank asks for $40 million. The new road tax, county officials say, could provide money the county could use to attract other funds through grant matches or partnerships.
Yahoo
17-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
State urges Boone and other counties to enact wheel tax
The State of Indiana is encouraging county and city governments to impose a new wheel tax. Any county, city, or town with a population of 5,000 or more can enact a wheel tax and excise surtax, but only about 54 of the state's 92 counties and about a dozen cities have, Boone County Highway Director Nick Parr told the county council this week. Changes in the tax laws this year created a significant reduction in the $1.5 million in grant money that is usually available to the county for road and bridge maintenance and replacements. And the state has set aside millions of dollars for direct distributions to municipalities and counties, but only if they have the excise and wheel taxes, which must be adopted together. Boone County payers don't pay either tax at present. The county would have to enact the taxes by Sept. 1 for it to take effect in January. According to Purdue University, the tax would apply to passenger vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, motor drive cycles (mopeds), trailers, collector vehicles, mini trucks, buses, semi-tractors, semi-trailers, and RVs. Allowable rates per conveyance range from a minimum of $5 to a maximum of $80 and would be paid annually through the Bureau of Motor Vehicles. The change in tax law and road funding is expected to prompt the majority of Hoosier counties to adopt the taxes, and the pool of funds will be spread thinner. But the county could lose $876,000 in state funds annually without the tax, according to a conservative estimate, Parr said. Parr did not ask the council to adopt the taxes, he just updated them on the situation. Council President Jennifer Hostetter thanked him for tracking changes in the tax laws this year and how they may affect the county. Planning money Also on Tuesday, the council approved of Hostetter signing a joint letter with Boone County Commissioners President Scott Pell asking the state to pay for a new county comprehensive plan at a cost of up to $400,000. A comprehensive plan is a written document that guides officials and citizens on the use of land, among other issues, according to the county website. Boone County's plan will establish rules for future growth for unincorporated land. Officials will seek public input in developing it. Counties usually update comprehensive plans every six or so years, county attorney Beth Copeland told the council. Boone County's plan is 16 years old, and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. recently began developing thousands of acres for LEAP Lebanon Innovation and Research District on Lebanon's north and west sides. The development necessitated a plan update, regardless of whether the county was financially ready. The IEDC is exempt from paying property taxes on land it has bought for development, although the land returns to the tax rolls when a business buys it for development, such as Eli Lilly and Co.'s 800 acres at two sites. Meta has also bought more than 1,000 acres to develop. The former agricultural and residential land is taxed at far greater rates, $100,000 per acre and more so far, when it is bought and rezoned for industrial use. Copeland said the state is careful in not referring to the money it may supply as a replacement for lost taxes, but rather as an economic development payment. Whatever they call it, taxpayer Brian Daggy asked Copeland to remind the IEDC that $400,000 is far less than it would pay for taxes on the now-exempt land. In other business, the council: * Narrowly voted to add a running time period on meeting agendas for council members to comment on matters of interest that were not on the agenda. But their comments will be limited to five minutes. The time limit proved controversial, with Aaron Williams warning that it puts the council on a 'slippery slope to censorship.' Williams, John Riner, and Dustin Plunkett voted no, while Hostetter, Shari Richey, Kevin Van Horn and Dan Lamar voted yes. Council members are not limited when speaking about regular agenda items, and the council can suspend rules to allow for more than five minutes as needed. * Approved the Boone County Commissioners' request to move money from their legal services budget line to the indirect consulting line to pay to activate a sewage district at Interstate 65 and Ind. 47 in anticipation of commercial development. * Hostetter announced the winner of the county employee's spring competition to get them walking. Maria Truitt, a court reporter, was in first place until Hostetter and Boone County Sheriff Tony Harris got into a fierce but friendly match at the end. Harris had to walk 22 miles the final day of the competition to beat Hostetter after they both walked 20 miles the previous day. Hostetter said with a laugh that Harris told her he wasn't walking the last day, so she laid off out of fatigue and let her guard down, while he sailed to first place. Hostetter was second, with Truitt coming in third.
