BEAUFORT, S.C. — Beaufort County voters settle two questions on a proposed transportation sales tax on Tuesday’s ballot, deciding whether to add a penny on the dollar to pay for road work across the county.
The first question would let the county collect a 1% sales tax for up to nine years or until it brings in $780 million, whichever happens first. Approval would move the local rate from the state’s 6% base to 7%. Rent, mortgage payments, gas, groceries that are not prepared and prescription drugs would not be taxed. Collections would start May 1, 2027.
The second question would allow the county to borrow as much as $450 million through general obligation bonds, repaid from the tax, so design and construction could start before years of collections pile up. Those bonds would not be added on top of the $780 million cap.
The plan sets aside $326 million for safety and intersection work and $249 million for resurfacing and paving dirt roads. On the project list are a wider S.C. 170 from U.S. 278 out to S.C. 462, a diverging-diamond design at the junction of those two highways, and added turn lanes where Ribaut Road crosses Lady’s Island Drive.
County Council gave the ordinance final approval on June 22, 2026. It also creates a citizen-led oversight committee to manage spending, rank projects and keep the program accountable. Voters turned down a larger transportation tax two years ago, while projects from the 2018 penny tax are still underway.
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Filed under: Beaufort SC Politics News
