Interest in meal tax cooking in Irmo

Irmo leaders are sampling the local appetite for a town meal tax.

Town officials are exploring the idea but won’t go forward unless they can settle on a package of projects that revenue from the tax would support.

“We’ll try to develop a game plan,” Mayor Hardy King said. “We want ideas on what we could do with the money, a real good list that could make folks get off the highway (I-26) and spend money here.”

There’s interest among town leaders in adding landscaping, outdoor art and welcome signs on main roads and sponsoring events such as concerts in town parks.

Those would be on the top of exposure gained from the annual Okra Strut, one of the most popular festivals in the Midlands.

But it’s uncertain whether plans for using the tax would be enough to spark acceptance by restaurant owners and neighborhood groups.

“The question is if we can utilize it enough,” Councilwoman Kathy Condom said.

Town Hall could net as much as $500,000 a year initially from the tax on restaurant dining, take-out meals and some snacks, according to preliminary estimates by King.

It’s unclear how many dining spots are in Irmo.

The tax is already collected in part of the town of 12,000 residents straddling Lexington and Richland counties.

Irmo could recoup a share of the tax of 2 pennies on the dollar in Richland County. No total is available of how much tax comes from town restaurants there.

But it would be a new tax on the Lexington County side, where three of 14 municipalities have it.

Officials with the Greater Irmo Chamber of Commerce could not be reached for comment on the tax.

One Irmo leader opposes the tax, calling it a hassle for eateries to handle.

“I hated it,” said Councilman Barry Walker, who formerly operated a restaurant in Columbia. “It was something extra to do.”

Irmo should promote its top-rated schools and make sure neighborhoods are well-maintained instead of pursuing new ideas to attract interest, he said.

King agreed the bedroom community may decide those features are sufficient.

“I just don’t know if we’ve got anything to make us a better draw,” he said.

This story was originally published April 30, 2017 at 3:38 PM with the headline "Interest in meal tax cooking in Irmo."