City council moves to appoint Trey Thomas to county capital-project sales-tax commission

At a special call meeting May 22, the Anderson City Council discussed Anderson County’s plan to form a six-member commission to oversee a proposed capital project sales tax and a councilmember moved to appoint Trey Thomas as the City of Anderson’s representative to that commission.

City staff told the council that Anderson County Council had used authority provided by state law to move forward with a capital project sales tax and had appointed three commissioners at its May 6 meeting. The staff explanation said the full commission would include three municipal representatives and three county representatives, and that the city has authority under state law to appoint one commissioner who would, in turn, select two others from underrepresented or unrepresented municipalities.

The staff presentation described the commission’s proposed scope as focused on improving roads, bridges, intersections and other roadway safety improvements. The timeline given to the council called for the commission to work through June and early July, after which Anderson County Council would need to pass three readings of an ordinance to place a referendum on the Nov. 4, 2025, general election ballot.

A councilmember moved to appoint Trey Thomas, a City of Anderson resident, as the city’s appointee. The transcript records the motion being made but does not include a second, a roll-call or voice vote, or any formal outcome in the meeting record provided.

Council discussion in the transcript was limited to the staff overview and the motion; no additional debate, conditions on the appointment, or further direction to staff appear in the provided record.

If Anderson County Council proceeds with the ordinance and a voter-approved referendum, the commission as described would evaluate and receive candidate projects from the county, the city and other municipalities for consideration and funding under the proposed sales tax.