York County’s Fifth Pennies For Progress Initiative

YORK COUNTY- Jean Stewart has lived off of Highway 21 in Fort Mill for the past 42 years.

“If they don’t widen it, drivers will be carrying guns like they’re doing some of the big cities, and we’re going to experience some road rage.”

York County is planning its fifth Pennies for Progress referendum.

It’s 1% sales tax program in South Carolina that allows a county to tax all goods and services.

“1% of that comes back to the county for capital improvement projects throughout the county, a capital project can be roads,” said York County’s assistant County Engineer, Patrick Hamilton. “It can be buildings, parks, water, sewer. However, York County has always done transportation projects right.”

For the past year, the Pennies For Progress commission has been creating a list of projects for Pennies 5.
This referendum is different than in years past.

“Due to the drastic cost increases we’ve seen in the last couple of years, there’s not enough funding for current projects to be able to complete them,” said Hamilton, “so a large percentage of the pennies five program is to complete old projects.”

Including U.S. 21, broken up into three sections.

“So you’ll see the the whole stretch of 21 from when you cross over into Fort Mill at Sutton Road, all the way up to basically Carowinds Boulevard is included on the Pennies Five referendum.”

Pennies Five will also include more resurfacing projects and intersection work all across the county.

There will be three separate meetings this summer to approve Penny’s Five. When those are concluded, then it will be placed on the ballot this coming November.