No appetite for meal tax in Chapin
A local meal tax is off the menu in Chapin.
Town Council turned down the proposal 4-1 on Tuesday, with Mayor Skip Wilson in favor.
The proposal would have added two pennies on the dollar to meals in restaurants, take-out food and some snacks. It was estimated to raise up to $360,000 annually for the community of an estimated 1,700 residents.
Wilson suggested the tax as a way to make nonresidents help pay for road improvements, sidewalks and other services instead of higher property taxes and fees.
The proposal ran into opposition from business owners and residents.
Three of 14 Lexington County communities have the tax and all are much larger in population – Cayce, Lexington and West Columbia.
The tax is uniform in adjoining Richland County.
Tim Flach: 803-771-8483
This story was originally published November 16, 2016 at 12:05 PM with the headline "No appetite for meal tax in Chapin."