2025 Rock Hill area live election results: Voters crush Lancaster sales tax plan
Lancaster County voted decisively against a new sales tax to fund road work, unofficial returns show Tuesday night.
Nearly 68% of voters cast a “no” for a tax meant to improve area roads, with all precincts reporting. Lancaster County had a 28% voter turnout, about five times higher than York County. All results are considered unofficial until they are certified later this week.
The ballot asked Lancaster County voters two questions. The first asked to raise the county sales tax by 1% for 10 years. That increase from an 8% to 9% tax rate tying four counties near or along the coast for the state’s highest rate, would generate an expected $253 million.
The second question only mattered if voters approved the first one. It asked whether the county could bond money to start the road projects faster, and pay it back within 10 years from the new 1% tax increase. That vote has an almost identical 68% “no” rate.
Road projects slated for funding with the new tax would’ve included widening of U.S. 521, Henry Harris, Harrisburg and Barberville roads. Intersections would’ve been improved and roundabouts installed across the county, and 31 county or state roads would’ve been resurfaced.
Other roads would have been resurfaced in the municipalities south of the panhandle.
The road tax question appears to have been a driver for Lancaster County voters. Statewide, there were 39,158 early votes cast, according to the South Carolina Elections Commission.
That’s a massive, if predictable, drop from the nearly 1.5 million early votes last fall in a presidential election year. Lancaster County tallied 7,419 early votes this year, or nearly 19% of the state total.
Only Charleston County had more, with 8,050 early votes.
York County, about three times the size of Lancaster County, had less than a quarter of the early votes Lancaster County did, with 1,460. York County had more municipal contests on the ballot than Lancaster County, but didn’t have a road tax referendum.
Tuesday’s decision comes one year after voters denied a similar but larger proposal in Lancaster County. Last fall, nearly 53% of voters opted not to start a 1% sales tax for 15 years. It was expected to generate $405 million.
Local tax proposals to fund roads in the growing Charlotte region have become common in recent years. Last fall, York County voters approved a Pennies for Progress extension expected to generate $411 million in seven years. That’s also a 1% sales tax. It was the fifth Pennies campaign approved by voters since 1997.
On Tuesday, Mecklenburg County voters saw a 1% tax increase on the ballot that projects $19 billion over 30 years for roads, trains and buses. That increase would bring the sales tax there to 8.25%. Early results showed the “yes” vote leading there, according to the Charlotte Observer.
Rock Hill, Tega Cay, York, Clover election results
City and town council races across the region were decided on Tuesday, too.
Former City Councilwoman Nikita Jackson defeated incumbent Perry Sutton for the Ward 5 seat, 53% to 47%, with all precincts reporting. Sutton defeated Jackson three years ago for the same seat.
Sarah Vining defeated Nate Mallard for Ward 6, 58% to 41%. That race has all precincts reporting.
Mayor John Gettys and Councilman John Black in Ward 4 each ran unopposed for another term in Rock Hill.
Tega Cay had elections Tuesday for mayor and two City Council seats.
City Councilwoman Carmen Miller received 49% of the votes in the mayoral race, with all precincts reporting. City Planning Commission member Alice Dobleske was next with 31%, followed by political newcomer John Tukker at 19%.
Incumbent Tom Hyslip (36%) and city volunteer Heather Jones (26%) won City Council seats over former Councilman Ron Kirby (24%) and small business owner Thomas Rackley (13%).
In Clover, an 11-way race for three Town Council seats had a tight finish. Teresa Hurst (18%), Jason Manos (16%) and Kathy Rae Brewer (14%) won seats, with all precincts reporting. Next were Jeffrey Becker (13%), Darnella Lindsay (11%), Jeremy Brashears (10%), Stephen Widener (6%). Jeffrey Kidd (4%), Rorie Brooks (3%), Melissa Mason (3%) and Ian Moyer (1%).
Joyce Jackson ran unopposed for an unexpired term on Clover Town Council.
In York, Kellie Wine Harrold defeated Bob Gray, 55% to 44%, in the City Council Dist. 6 race with all precincts reporting. Matthew Hickey in Dist. 1 and Charles Brewer in Dist. 5 each ran unopposed.
Fort Mill reelected three Town Council members, but none of them faced opposition. Allen Garrison remains in Ward 1, Ben Hudgins in Ward 3 and Chris Wolfe in an at-large seat.
Other election night results
Here’s the latest on other results from York, Lancaster and Chester counties:
- Robert Faulkner, Jr. defeated Kirsta Green for Mayor Smyrna, 62% to 38%, with all precincts reported
- Robert Faulkner, Sr. (26%), Tyler Nivens (25%), Ann Wilson (21%) and Jeff Wilson (17%) won Smryna Town Council seats ahead of Frances Faulkner (8%), with all precincts reporting
- Nicole Perkins (53%) defeated Jennifer Ramsey (46%) for Mayor of Sharon, with all precincts reporting
- Bill Nance (56%) defeated Bryan Jenkins (44%) for Mayor of McConnells, with all precincts reporting
- Bill Covington (24%), Liz Christenberry (20%) and James Sciba (20%) lead Kelley Stewart (17%) and James Hoban (17%) for four McConnells Town Council seats, with all precincts reporting
- Sean Corcoran (40%) leads Donnie Hicks (35%) and Kyle Starnes (26%) for Mayor of Van Wyck, with all precincts reporting
- Laura Clark (31%) and Erica Smith (19%) defeated Tia Sargent (18%), Mike Waterbury (16%) and Justin Milasauskas (6%) for two Van Wyck Town Council seats, with all precincts reporting
- Deborah Truesdale (31%) and Peggy Bowers (27%) defeated Steve Drakeford, Jr. (25%) and Lendia Johnson (16%) for two Heath Springs Town Council seats, with all precincts reporting
- Daphine Woodard (39%) and Wendy Hatcher (29%) topped Larry Helms (28%) for two Fort Lawn Town Council seats, with all precincts reporting
- Wendy Duncan (35%) defeated Danny Williams (31%), Jeremy Murphy (17%) and Mike Davis (16%) for an at-large seat on Kershaw Town Council, with all precincts reporting
- Larry Earl ran unopposed for Mayor of Hickory Grove
- Ollie Bankhead, Kevin Faulkner, Harry James Good and Kyle Wyatt ran for four Hickory Grove Town Council seats
- Herschel Brown, Jr., Jay Gourley, Margarette Barnette Parrish and Rebecca Rees ran for four Sharon Town Council seats
- Jackie Harris ran unopposed for Lancaster City Council Dist. 3
- Ashante Miller ran unopposed for Lancaster City Council Dist. 4
- Ronnie Sowell ran unopposed for Lancaster City Council Dist. 6
- John Jody Connell ran unopposed for Kershaw Town Council Dist. 3
- Harvey Truesdale ran unopposed for Kershaw Town Council Dist. 4
- Eddie Moore ran unopposed for Mayor of Heath Springs
- Joe Wilson ran unopposed for Mayor of Lowrys
- Cole Abell, Buddy Courtney, Valeria Erwin and Mitchell Lisenby ran for four Lowrys Town Council seats
- James Harris ran unopposed for Mayor of Richburg
- Nancy Beatty, Delores Crockett, Albert Stewart, Jr. and Helen Williams ran for four Richburg Town Council seats
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 8:05 PM.
