Lexington County Council gave initial approval to a $30 service fee for registered vehicle owners so the county can make needed road improvements.

Councilman Darrell Hudson said the new fee would bring in about $9 million in funds per year that would go directly to road maintenance and improvements.

“We wouldn’t need this if the sales tax was approved,” Hudson told the Chronicle after the Tuesday meeting.

A 1% sales tax was rejected by voters in November 2022, with 45.35% of residents voting for the increase and 54.6% voting against the increase. If passed, the penny-on-the-dollar tax would have raised an estimated $535 million dollars to be used for road improvements.

Exactly how the new service fee would be spent is not known at this point.

The projects that hold top priority for the penny sales tax include repaving roads throughout the county, redesigning the intersection of Fisher Hatchery Road and Pine Ridge Road to create new turn lanes, improving traffic flow and pedestrian safety on Meeting Street between 9th Street and State Street in West Columbia, and improving turn lanes at the intersection of Hope Ferry Road and U.S. Highway 378 in Lexington.

One of the largest projects included in the plan is the widening and repaving of Longs Pond Road in Lexington County, which would cost an estimated $64 million.

Recent studies show a dire need for improvements.

According to published reports, 38% of roads in Lexington County are currently classified as “fair” or “poor.” Within seven years, the number of roads in that category is expected to rise as high as 70%.

The ordinance was approved at Tuesday’s meeting, but will need to pass two more readings to become official. There will also be a public hearing on it.