The following letter was sent on Saturday, October 7, 2023. Response to date follow the letter.

“Dear Local Elected Official, 

The Aiken Standard today reported that Aiken County Administrator Brian Sanders “urged those attending the Aiken Chamber of Commerce’s First Friday..breakfast..to support the 1-cent local option levy in 2024,” referring to Aiken County’s one-percent Capital Project Sales Tax. (CPST) 

On August 22, 2023, Aiken County Public Schools District Superintendent King Lawrence informed the Aiken County legislative delegation that ACPSD is planning a November 2024 “Penny Sales Tax” referendum in order to fund new or upgraded school facilities. 

Thus, under current plans, Aiken County voters will be asked to vote twice in the November 2024 general election on whether to tax themselves at one-percent rates for all purchases of consumer goods that are eligible for sales tax, in order to fund capital projects that elected officials approve for funding. 

This is the first time that Aiken County voters will be asked to approve both County CPST and ACPSD one-percent sales tax measures on the same ballot. Voters will essentially be asked if they wish to tax themselves at a rate of two-percent to support county-wide infrastructure, or to terminate all or part of the existing two-percent sales tax system for funding capital projects commonly referred to as infrastructure. 

Following are a series of questions regarding these coinciding one percent sales tax referendums, or what could be described as “the two-percent sales tax referendum.” These questions are being sent to members of Aiken County Council, Aiken City Council, North Augusta City Council, the Aiken County School Board, and the local state legislative delegation. Any additional comments on your tax and spend philosophies are welcome–i.e. the ideal criteria for determining infrastructure necessities vs luxuries. 

1. Do you believe use of the terms “penny sales tax,” “one-cent sales tax,” and/or “one cent added” is an acceptable means for local officials to market one-percent sales taxes to voters? 

2. Do you support one or both sales taxes? If not, what alternatives to meet the growing infrastructure demands in Aiken County do you propose to compensate for either tax? 

3.  Do you believe that all or any of the four local government bodies identified here (County, Schools, CONA, COA) are planning future capital projects under the assumption that voters will approve their respective one-percent taxes in this election cycle? If so, should they be? 

4. What contingencies, if any, should local governments be pursuing in the event that voters reject one or both measures in 2024?  

5. Since capital project sales taxes cannot be used to fund daily operations or provide public employees with wage increases or improved benefits, what do you advocate to ensure that essential government operations in Aiken County and/or your respective jurisdictions are on financial footings as sound and stable as essential infrastructure? For example, is a new emergency response vehicle more, less, or equally valuable than the highly trained, experienced emergency responder in that vehicle? 

6. Since sales taxes apply to all consumers, to what extent do you believe that non-county residents should subsidize the infrastructure needs of Aiken County? 

7. What capital projects, if any, in the last two CPST cycles do you believe were unnecessary pork barrel projects? Similarly, what projects that you believe were necessary were not on the list? 

Thank you for your responses, 

Donald Moniak

Freelance writer and researcher

Responses to date by elected officials.

1. State Representative Melissa Oremus, October 7, 2023 email.

“I will not be supporting any new tax increases. ”

2. Aiken City Councilwoman Gail Diggs, in response to a modified version of Question #4 in an online candidate forum:

“Funding sources change: however, our priorities are our priorities. We will adjust and make the most of the resources available.”

3. Recently elected Council Councilwoman P.K. Hightower responding to modified question in an online candidate forum:

“No one wants an increase in sales or property taxes; however, as a council we have to determine how to fund emergency response vehicles (grants with the help of Lower Savannah Council of Governments, excess budget, etc.). In my professional career I help employees look for ways to be more efficient thereby doing more work with less money. The South Carolina Manufacturing Extension Partnership can help the county implement Lean Six Sigma process improvements to save money for dire county service needs. It is not an easy decision; however, we have to make the case to Aiken County citizens to either vote for the one-cent local option sale tax or expect property taxes to increase.”