Adell Dailey, who farms and has a feed store off Kennerly Road in upper Richland County, said bus fares should be increased from the $1.50 per ride that went into effect five years ago.

“It’s not fair for us to have to pay for that city bus program downtown. It’s got to be run like a business,” Dailey said. “That bus system should make a go of it on its own without us having to pay for it.”

After going back and forth on the sales-tax issue, Jon Richter said he has settled on two main reasons why he’s voting “no.”

At 22 years, the tax would last too long.

Plus, he’s worried an 8-cents-on-the-dollar sales tax would put Richland County merchants at a competitive disadvantage.

“We need to coordinate with what Lexington County is considering doing, and come back with a better idea,” said Richter, who lives in Irmo and served on the citizen committee that drew up the original sales-tax proposal in 2008.

Richland County allows new subdivisions and schools to be built — and then ends up with bumper-to-bumper traffic that has to be fixed, northwest resident Tim Shealy said.

“All they’re looking for is the tax dollar it’s going to generate when that new owner moves in,” he said.

Shealy is voting against the sales tax, in part, because he said a new funding source won’t address the county’s habit of poor roads planning.

He’s also troubled by a lack of specifics on road projects, including which dirt roads are to be paved.

“Too many loopholes,” said Shealy, 68, a civil engineer estimator who has lived off Broad River road for about 30 years. “I just don’t have any faith in County Council.”