The City of Greenville is rolling out a drop-in project preview at the Civic Design Center on South Main Street, giving residents a close look at hundreds of proposed infrastructure projects and a chance to grill officials about a possible penny sales tax. The open house runs from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday, with city staff on hand to explain the Municipal Tax Relief Act and a proposed 1% municipal sales tax that could land on the November ballot. City officials say this is essentially the last public feedback stop before City Council finalizes the ordinance.
Drop-In Open House And What To Expect
As reported by FOX Carolina, the open house at the Civic Design Center will walk residents through how the Municipal Tax Relief Act works and how the proposed 1% municipal sales tax might be used. City staffers will be available throughout the 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. window to share information, answer questions and take feedback. According to the station, the format is strictly drop-in, so people can swing by on their own schedule instead of sitting through a formal presentation.
How The State Law Changed The Rules
The meeting comes on the heels of the Municipal Tax Relief Act, which authorizes qualifying municipalities to impose up to a one-percent local sales tax by referendum, as enacted by the South Carolina Legislature. The law lays out how the tax must be administered and requires that at least a portion of the proceeds go toward property tax relief for owner-occupied homes. The Municipal Association of South Carolina has posted summaries spelling out which municipalities qualify and how the referendum process is supposed to run.
The Money And The Projects
According to the Greenville Journal, city officials estimate a penny tax could generate about $511.6 million over eight years, roughly $64 million annually, with at least 20% of that revenue reserved to cut property taxes for owner-occupied homes. Staff have drafted a working list of about 527 proposed capital projects totaling roughly $410.8 million. The biggest slice is aimed at roadway resurfacing, bridge and intersection improvements, along with stormwater and sewer upgrades. Projects are grouped into priority tiers to guide how the money would be spent if voters sign off on the measure.
What Happens Next
“The project list must be finalized before City Council’s final reading of the ordinance and cannot be changed once adopted,” the Greenville Journal notes. The city also has to certify its referendum paperwork to the county elections office by mid-August for the measure to make the November ballot. Council gave the proposal an initial reading in mid-July and has indicated it will take up subsequent readings in upcoming meetings before a final vote. If both the city and Greenville County put separate penny taxes before voters and both measures pass, residents inside the city limits could see an extra two cents per dollar on qualifying purchases.
How To Review Materials And Weigh In
For those who cannot make it downtown, the city has posted an interactive map and the draft project list on its Municipal Tax Relief Act page, and staff are taking feedback both at the Civic Design Center and through the city’s online comment tools. To dig into the project map and supporting documents, visit the City of Greenville Municipal Tax Relief Act page. Residents with questions about the timeline or ballot language can reach out to the Communications and Neighborhood Relations Department for more details.
