3 Richland County areas to decide on new taxes for dam repairs

Lakefront homeowners in three Richland County neighborhoods go to the polls Tuesday in separate but simultaneous elections to decide on taxing themselves to repair dams damaged by floods last fall.

The dams are on Beaver Lake, Cary Lakeand Lower Rockyford Lake.

Each ballot proposal creates a special tax district in which residents will pay extra yearly for repair and upkeep of the dams.

Here are the particulars:

▪  For Beaver Lake in Richland Northeast, also known as Boyd’s Pond 2, voting will be at the Wildewood precinct at St John Neumann Catholic Church, 100 Polo Rd.

▪  For Cary Lake in Arcadia Lakes, voting will be at two sites – the Arcadia precinct at the Forest Lake Park gym, 6820 Wedgefield Road and at the North Trenholm Road precinct, North Trenholm Baptist Church, 6515 N. Trenholm Road.

▪  For Lower Rockyford Lake, voting will be at the Cooper precinct, St. Michael and All Angels’ Episcopal Church, 6408 Bridgewood Road.

Precincts are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

At least 23 dams, virtually all privately owned, failed across the county during record rain in October.

Preliminary estimates are that repairs at each dam will cost from $500,000 to $1 million.

The exact amount that property owners would pay is to be determined.

Federal and state aid is unlikely for repairs that may include rebuilding dams.

If a majority of voters approve in each area approve, the new assessments will be included in tax bills mailed out this fall.

In June, property owners around the Upper Rockyford dam in the Forest Acres area became the first neighborhood to vote to tax themselves for dam repairs.