BEAUFORT, S.C. — Beaufort County voters will decide Nov. 3 whether to approve a 1% transportation sales tax on most retail purchases to pay for road and safety projects across the county.
County officials describe the referendum as a yes-or-no vote on a penny tax meant to fund infrastructure that supports safety, mobility and connectivity. The proposed project list includes roadway expansions, intersection work, resurfacing and paving aimed at current and future travel demand.
At a Thursday public hearing, residents said they want traffic problems fixed but questioned whether the county can finish the work and rebuild trust after earlier referendums. The plan is projected to raise about $780 million over nine years for more than 80 road and safety projects.
Under the county outline, about $326 million would go to safety and intersection improvements, about $249 million to resurfacing and dirt-road paving, and about $205 million to road-widening. Leaders said citizen-led oversight would monitor spending if voters approve the tax.
Assistant County Administrator Jared Fralix said the package targets projects the county believes can be finished on the program timeline and adds oversight after feedback from an earlier failed referendum. The tax would take effect May 1, 2027, and end on or before April 30, 2036, and would not apply to rent or mortgage payments, medical purchases and prescriptions, or unprepared grocery food.
A separate bonding question on the same ballot would let the county borrow against a portion of the projected revenue to start work sooner. County materials direct residents to beaufortcountypenny.com for project details before Election Day.
