Lexington County voters rejected a penny sales tax that supporters say was badly needed to relieve traffic congestion and bad road conditions.

On Nov. 8, the 1% Capital Project Sales Tax failed to pass, with 45.35 percent of ballots cast for the increase and 54.6 percent voting against.

So what’s next?

The solution is unclear, according to elected officials.

“I thought it would pass,” said Lexington County Council Chair Scott Whestone. “I was a little shocked.”

The penny-on-the-dollar tax would have raised an estimated $536 million over eight years to be used exclusively on roads.

“The people have spoken,” said Whetstone. “We have to back up and punt.”

Whetstone said council “will have to be creative” to address the roads problem. The message he got from voters was that Lexington County can’t use county money to fund “state” projects.

The vote came on the heels of a report showing dynamic growth in Lexington County.

According to an annual report from the Lexington County Department of Economic Development, the county has received commitments of $448.7 million in capital investment and 1,107 new jobs during the past 12 months.

Lexington County is the fastest-growing county in South Carolina’s Midlands, according to data released in 2021 by the U.S. Census Bureau. From 2010 to 2020, the county saw a 12%increase in its population, ranking 12th for the most growth out of the state’s 46 counties. 

The current population is just over 300,000, according to census data.

Opponents of the tax said Lexington County has to figure out its own way to fund road projects, while pressuring the state to do more.

“We’ve got to prioritize,” said West Columbia Council Member Mike Green. “We can’t be spending a million dollars a mile to pave a dirt road.”

Green said the county should look at different sources for road improvements, such as government grants.

Lexington County Council Member Darrell Hudson said the county was simply trying to do the work that the state Department of Transportation isn’t doing.

“All they care about is Interstate Highways,” he said. “We’ve got to figure out another option.”

Hudson said he favored the tax, but wasn’t surprised it failed.

“We’ve got to figure out a different way to fix our county roads,” he said.

Lexington County Council Member Debbie Summers said she was disappointed in the vote, but likewise wasn’t really surprised voters would oppose a tax increase.

She said the county did everything it could to promote the project, which was endorsed by local chambers throughout the area.

“We did a lot of talking,” she said. “I don’t know what more we could have done.”

Summers said she’s not sure what to do next.

“Maybe revisit in four years,” she said

Funding road improvements through a property tax is not an option, she said, because it would adversely affect people who are unable to cope with more expenses.

Some town leaders were looking forward to specific projects in their own communities.

Irmo Town Council Member Erik Sickinger posted his disappointment on the Citizens of the Town of Irmo Facebook page.

“I'm discouraged that the Lexington County penny tax wasn't approved — it would have helped the town significantly, like paving the dirt road to the park, installing lights, and adding turn lanes in congested areas,” he said.