Data
Click image for a region-by-region view of road and pedestrian projects proposed in Richland County
Stories published on thestate.com
Published Sept. 11, 2012
Foes of a proposed transportation sales tax tried to poke holes in the plan outlined by Richland County officials at the first forum Monday explaining how it would be used. Opponents complained that problems with the tax increase of a penny on the dollar were glossed over during the session at the county recreation center in Dentsville attended by 75 residents.
Richland penny tax informational meetings scheduled
Published Sept. 5
Richland County has scheduled the first round of community meetings to explain details of a proposed penny sales tax for transportation. (Sept. 10-24)
Richland to fund sales tax information campaign
Published Aug. 1, 2012
Richland County will spend up to $50,000 to inform voters about projects that would be funded by the proposed penny-on-the-dollar sales tax for transportation. On July 31, the council gave a final vote of approval on the allocation, reversing course from two years ago, when members declined to pay for voter materials.
Published July 19, 2012
Richland County is again calling a November referendum to address $1 billion in transportation needs after voters barely rejected the penny-on-the-dollar sales tax increase two years ago. What’s different this time, boosters say, is a funding crisis for public transit. And Wednesday, in deciding the ballot’s wording, the council boosted the proportion that would go both for buses and for pedestrian amenities.
Richland Co. project manager would get chunk of penny tax
Published July 9, 2012
Consultants suggest it would cost $31 million to administer the proceeds from a sales tax collected for 20 years. That’s about 3 percent of the total proceeds — which is standard, said David Beaty, regional manager of Florence & Hutcheson in Columbia, one of a handful of transportation-focused engineering firms in SC likely to compete for the job.
In Columbia, plenty for roads, little for buses?
Published July 5, 2012
Money from a proposed sales tax would create a “rockin’” bus system, even with a smaller cut of the revenues, the director of local bus service said.
Editorial: Buses must be priority of sales tax
Published: July 1, 2012
ANYONE WHO expected Richland County Council to adopt a more acceptable plan for a transportation sales tax that would meet the critical funding needs of the public bus system and pass muster with voters the second time around was disappointed.
Published June 12, 2012
Richland County voters would be asked this fall to approve a 20-year, one-penny sales tax increase that would raise nearly $1 billion to improve the bus system, upgrade roads and extend pedestrian and bicycle pathways if a committee gets its way.
Official information from Richland County
Click image for the county's "Transportation Penny" info page
