Which York County roads most need to be fixed? This is how you can make it happen
As road work continues across York County, it’s now time for people to have their say about new projects, or whether they want even more improvements.
“I know we’re in the middle of Pennies 4,” said Patrick Hamilton, director of Pennies for Progress, “but Pennies 5 is coming up faster than you think.”
Pennies for Progress is a voter-approved one-cent sales tax used to pay for York County’s road improvements, including widening, resurfacing, intersection upgrades and other work, and even new roads. Voters get to decide on a list of upgrades based on how much the tax is expected to generate over a seven-year span.
The tax expires every seven years.
The current tax, known as Pennies 4 and approved by county residents in 2017, expires on April 30, 2025. A fifth Pennies campaign would need to be approved by voters in the fall of 2024 to begin collection May 1, 2025.
“It’s not a new tax,” Hamilton said. “It’ll be a continuation of the existing tax.”
If approved, Pennies 5 would provide millions of dollars for some of the county’s biggest road needs. That list of needs has not yet been created.
“There’s a lot that has to happen prior to that vote,” Hamilton said.
Who’s on the citizens commission
By state law, a six-member citizens commission will pick the Pennies 5 projects. And appointment of the commission is a critical early step.
County officials have not yet decided how people can submit their own names for consideration.
Commission selections are based on population. York County Council gets to appoint three members. Rock Hill appoints two, and there’s one more member for the remaining eight municipalities in York County.
“That has to happen this fall,” Hamilton said.
An estimated timeline has the county approving a resolution to create the commission Sept. 6, and appointing the commission members Oct. 17.
The commission would set its schedule this fall. With the most recent campaign, the group met monthly. The new commission will do it’s work from December to spring of 2024.
“They’ll go to every municipality within the county, give them an opportunity to present project requests to the commission,” Hamilton said. “Meetings are open to the public. The public can come and present project requests. We’ll take project requests through our website.”
The commission should approve its final list in May 2024 and present it to the county that summer. The vote would come that fall.
Chairwoman Christi Cox asked Hamilton to find out if there’s a way people can add their names to the list for consideration as a Pennies commission member. Councilman Tom Audette asked if there might be any update for how the Pennies 5 commission forms.
“Because of the change in our census numbers, have we re-looked at how we allot these six members because of the growth in certain areas?” Audette asked.
Audette serves a high-growth area in and between Fort Mill and Tega Cay. Recent U.S. Census Bureau updates show Fort Mill grew in a year, ending last summer, by more people than all but two other South Carolina cities and towns.
About 54% of York County residents live outside city or town limits. Which hits right at the three of six commission members the county gets to appoint. Rock Hill makes up about 26% of the total York County population. That city gets two appointments, or 33% of the commission.
Fort Mill, Tega Cay, York, Clover, Hickory Grove, McConnells, Sharon and Smyrna combine for about 20% of the county population. Those municipalities combined get one appointment, or 17% of the commission.
“I know it seems like a long way away,” Hamilton said, “but the process starts now.”
County Council has limited role
Hamilton said it’s a common misconception that York County Council or county staff picks the road improvements list.
That’s the job of the citizens commission.
Once the commission finalizes its list, York County Council can vote only on whether to put it on a referendum ballot. Council can’t change the list.
York County Council members say they’ve heard many of the same misconceptions.
“There’s been some conversations throughout the community about, council picks these projects,” said Councilman William “Bump” Roddey, who serves the Rock Hill area. “Council gets no designation which roads goes on the Pennies list.”
Councilman Robert Winkler hears the same in his area of western York County.
“All we can do is vote it up or down,” Winkler said. “We can’t add if we don’t like the list. We can’t make a change to it.”
Nor can the county manipulate the list after the referendum, for instance, if revenue comes in higher than projected.
“You can’t add new projects once the referendum’s been voted on,” Hamilton said. “If the project is not identified on the referendum, we can’t spend any money on it.”
Revenue collection on the current campaign has been drastically higher than was projected, Hamilton said. And all Pennies 4 projects are slated to be completed on time and on budget. Yet his office continues to monitor inflation, which can have major implications on road work due to massive amounts of materials needed.
Tell us which York County roads you would like to see make Pennies 5 in the box below. Feel free to vote for multiple roads.
A history of Pennies for Progress
Road conditions is a longstanding concern for many in York County. The Pennies program held its first referendum in 1997. Since then, four programs have been approved by county residents with as high as 82% approval.
Roads remain a concern. A recent online reader survey by The Herald asked, given soaring gas prices, whether the state should temporarily cut back its gas tax, even if that money is used to improve state roads. The response was clear: 89% of participants opted to keep the gas tax and have road improvements done on time, despite pain at the pump.
Together, the previous four Pennies campaigns combine for more than $720 million in road work. If Pennies 5 is as big or bigger than Pennies 4 in revenue collection, an approved Pennies 5 campaign could take York County County past the $1 billion mark.
Pennies 1
Vote Year: 1997
Vote Result: 51% in favor
Amount: $99.26 million
Key Projects: Fort Mill Northern Bypass (new road), Cherry Road, S.C. 5, S.C. 274, S.C. 160, S.C. 161
Pennies 2
Vote Year: 2003
Vote Result: 73% in favor
Amount: $184 million
Key Projects: U.S. 21 Catawba River Bridge, Mt. Gallant Road, Fort Mill Southern Bypass (new road), Tega Cay/Gold Hill Connector (new road), S.C. 55, McConnells Highway
Pennies 3
Vote Year: 2011
Vote Result: 82% in favor
Amount: $161 million
Key Projects: I-77/Gold Hill Road (new interchange), S.C. 274/Pole Branch Road, U.S. 21 North, S.C. 160, S.C. 557, Mt. Gallant Road
Pennies 4
Vote Year: 2017
Vote Result: 78% in favor
Amount: $277.92 million
Key Projects: Cel-River Road/Red River Road, U.S. 21, S.C. 274/49/557 (intersection), Sutton Road/Spratt Street/Fort Mill Parkway, Galleria Boulevard (extension), Hubert Graham Way (extension)
