Contact our County Councilman: Road Tax (Yes? No?)
June 1, 2008
I received the following email from our County Councilman, Bill Malinowski, this week and I wanted to share with you. Please take the time to let him know your thoughts and opinions.
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Richland County Council must decide if a one percent tax should be put on the November ballot for voters to decide. This one percent tax would be with us for 8 years and raise $521.48 million for transportation to include:
1. Bicycle, Greenways and Pedestrian Modes ($67.5 million)
2. Vehicular Traffic Improvements/Roads ($303.5 million)
3. Public Transit and Transit-Oriented Development. ($185 million)
The actual analysis was done for a 25 year plan and this would only be the first phase of three if voters continue to keep it in place.
I asked the question at council during the work session this week, “How many miles of dirt roads will be paved in Richland County with the $15 million set aside for that project?” No one could give me an answer, but they could give me exactly how many miles of bike paths, foot paths and sidewalks would be done.
There is $42 million slated for our District 1 during the 8 years. The projects that would consume those funds would be widening of Rte. 176 from Royal Tower in Irmo to the Peak interchange at I-26, a restructuring of the Coogler/Kennerly Road intersection at Ascot and additional turn lanes and road work at Broad River/Kennerly and Kinley. The Rte 176 construction would create 5 lanes, bike paths and sidewalks the entire length. Plus whatever small part of the dirt road paving we may get.
I would like to have as much input as possible from all constituents in order to determine if we should put this matter on the ballot or not.
Please contact as many people as possible and provide me with input, or have them contact me as soon as possible.
Thank you for your assistance and input in this matter.
Bill Malinowski
malinowski@rcgov.us
Comments
5 Responses to “Contact our County Councilman: Road Tax (Yes? No?)”
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The split for our part of the county seems about right. We certainly need to continue to improve roads, especially between 26 and the river. Not sure about the bike path deal. Bike paths should be built as part of major construction but I question spending money for just paths alone. I think the split to mass transit improvement should be much higher. Would rather see this tax approved as a gas tax rather than as a general sales tax. Why are we changing the way we fund road construction now. This proposal needs to be delt with by the legislature not as a local option sales tax.
Brent
I really would like to see Broad River Road improved. I do not think it needs to be 5 lanes all the way to the Peak exit but is needed to Ballentine, especially with Wal-Mart coming soon.The (temporary?) tax increase would not be troublesome if the 2% tax on food at eating establishments could be eliminated or modified. That tax to me looks like a slush fund for politicians to hand out favors to select groups and does not generally serve the best interest of the total tax paying community.Thanks Nathan for the splendid job you do in representing citizens and tax payers best interest. I believe you are the very best public servant that I have seen in my 76+ years. Caring, dependable and consistant are clearly your guiding principles.
Once the 1% tax is in place, no politician will remove it. It will be forever. Those who say it will only be for 8 years are lying. The majority of the tax will go to Columbia to fund their pet projects. The mass transit system was a joke from the beginning. It was very poorly managed and now they want more money to waste. Why should I fund a mass transit system that does not serve the majority of the county? What guarantee do we have that if the 1% tax is approved, that our honest politicians will not cut existing funds from the general budget. We will be left with less money for roads and higher taxes?
[…] Richland County is considering a 1% sales tax increase to help fund roads, bike paths, and public transportation. We already had a public input session in our community and there will be another one countywide on July 15th. For more information, contact our County Councilmember, Bill Malinowski . […]
I understand that the approval rating for Congress stands at 9%.With our legislators failing to work in any way with our two term governor I suspect that public confidence and approval of the legislature would not be much higher.Sad…Really sad.Why can’t those sworn to public service subordinate ambition and quest for power and devote themselves to conservative principals and the interests of all our citizens.