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Sumter County CPST Commission presents $124.9M project list; Council grants first reading to 1% sales‑tax referendum
Summary
The Capital Project Sales Tax Commission presented 30 ranked projects totaling $124.9 million, including emergency radio upgrades, fire trucks, a large county paving program and park improvements. Council granted first reading to an ordinance that would place a one‑percent countywide sales‑and‑use tax on the November ballot to fund the projects if voters approve.
Earl Wilson, chair of the Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST) Commission, presented a ranked list of 30 projects to Sumter County Council on May 28 and urged councilors to place a one‑percent Capital Project Sales and Use Tax referendum on the November 2024 ballot.
Wilson and other commission members reviewed project costs and purposes. The list presented to council totals $124,900,000 and highlights include: $13 million for emergency radio and pager system upgrades to meet mandated digital coverage and countywide interoperability; $14 million for replacement county fire trucks (rural stations named in the materials); $21 million dedicated to county paving and resurfacing (including 18.34 miles of dirt‑road paving and 7.07 miles of resurfacing); park improvements such as a Bobby Richardson Park transformation and Patriot Park pickleball expansion; industrial pad‑ready site work and downtown building improvements. The commission reported unanimous support to forward the list to council.
County Administrator Gary Mixon and CPST Chair Wilson emphasized that, if Council approves placement on the ballot and voters approve the tax, the county may also issue general obligation bonds (not to exceed $40 million in principal, per the ordinance language) secured by revenues from the tax. Vice Chairman James R. Byrd, Jr. moved and Councilman Charles T. Edens seconded first reading approval of Ordinance 24‑1004; the motion passed unanimously.
Chairman James T. McCain, Jr. clarified during discussion that the CPST Commission assembled the project list from submissions by the City, County, Mayesville and Pinewood and that councilors do not have authority to alter the Commission’s ranked list; final enactment of the tax requires voter approval in a referendum.
Next steps: council’s first reading approval advances the ordinance; staff will prepare ballot language and scheduling materials for the November 2024 ballot. If voters approve the tax, the county will proceed with project implementation and, where authorized, issuance of bonds tied to the tax revenues.
