Spartanburg County voters approved a six-year, 1-cent sales tax increase to pay for a new judicial center, a city-county government complex and other facilities estimated to cost $217 million.
With only three precincts unreported, the 1 cent sales tax, with results from the Spartanburg County Office of Voter Registration and Elections, announced,
• 16,901 votes approved
• 10,159 against.
The sales tax increase will begin May 1, 2018, and ends April 30, 2024.
The tax will not apply to:
• groceries
• prescription medicines
• certain maximum tax items such as automobiles and sales of personal property otherwise exempt from the state sales tax.
The estimated costs for the new projects are:
• $151.5 million, replaces the courthouse, city municipal court/police facilities, county emergency operations center and parking.
• $65.3 million replaces the City Hall and County Administration Building with a new joint government center.
• $7.6 million, if funds are left over, would go toward roads and bridge projects.
Spartanburg County Council members have said the plan is to pay for the projects only as the extra sales tax revenues are accumulated. No new property taxes are planned, according to county council members.