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Richland County Council OKs using 15% of accommodations tax for down-payment assistance, expands eligible teachers
Summary
Council voted to allocate 15% of prior-year accommodations tax collections for down-payment assistance and workforce housing, specifying eligibility for county employees, public safety, EMS and teachers including those at Lexington-Richland District 5; motion passed unanimously.
Richland County Council voted unanimously Dec. 3 to allocate 15% of prior-year accommodations tax collections to down-payment assistance and workforce housing programs targeted to Richland County employees, public safety personnel, EMS workers and public-school teachers, including teachers employed by Lexington-Richland School District Five whose jobs are located in Richland County.
The measure, offered as a committee recommendation and amended on the floor by Councilmember Branham to reference Section 61-5-37 of the South Carolina Code and Act 57 of 2023, directs that the housing assisted under the program be located within Richland County. The amended motion passed with all council members voting yes.
Why it matters: Council members said the allocation aims to make it more feasible for public employees and teachers to live in the county they serve, supporting retention and local workforce stability.
Council discussion and public comment focused on the program design and the source of funds. During the public-comment period, resident Anna Herron, who identified herself as living at 21 Oak Lake Court, said she opposed the proposal and argued it would increase housing demand and prices. “If you give free money to people to buy a house, that increases the demand. We already have high demand for housing. It doesn’t fix the supply problem,” Herron told the council. She also criticized what she called increased government intervention and questioned whether the accommodations-tax fund should be spent in this way.
County staff and committee members said the allocation is a one-time use of a statutorily authorized portion of accommodations-tax collections (15% of prior-year collections) and not a general-fund expenditure. Councilmember Branham’s amendment specified statutory alignment and expressly named eligible groups and a requirement that the housing be located in Richland County.
The motion as adopted instructs county administration to implement the allocation consistent with state law and the committee’s recommendation; specific program rules, the application process, and timelines were not detailed during the meeting and were listed as forthcoming.
Clarifying details: the motion bases eligibility on 15% of “last year’s collections” of the accommodations tax; no dollar amount was presented on the record. The motion references Section 61-5-37 of the South Carolina Code of Laws and Act 57 of 2023 for workforce- and mortgage-assistance requirements.
What’s next: Council approved the motion and asked county administration and committee staff to return with program-level details for implementation.
