Referendum Text
Shall a special, proportional, one penny per dollar capital project sales and use tax be imposed in Barnwell County from May 1, 2025, through April 30, 2032, and shall Barnwell County be permitted to issue general obligation bonds, in one or more series, in an amount not to exceed the aggregate of $14,000,000, which Barnwell County intends to repay from the sales and use tax, the proceeds of which shall be distributed proportionately, as received, among the following jurisdictions in the following percentages: Barnwell County (49.44%), the City of Barnwell (22.60%), the Town of Williston (13.98%), the Town of Blackville (9.34%), the Town of Hilda (2.03%), the Town of Snelling (1.21%), the Town of Kline (0.72%), and the Town of Elko (0.68%) to be used as follows:
A. To be used for Barnwell County projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Animal Shelter Acquisition and Construction Project $1,800,000
2. Landfill Equipment and Vehicle Acquisition Project $900,000
3. Courthouse Improvements Project $1,095,000
4. Amphitheater Acquisition and Construction Project $2,600,000
5. Agricultural Building Improvements Project $100,000
6. Landfill Redesign and Improvement Project $1,000,000
7. Water and Sewer Improvement Projects $1,295,463
B. To be used for the City of Barnwell projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Fire Station Construction Reimbursement Project $900,000
2. Police Vehicle Acquisition Project $350,000
3. Police Department Security Equipment Improvements Project $50,000
4. Public Works Vehicle and Equipment Acquisition Project $300,000
5. Collins and Fuller Parks Improvements Project $350,000
6. Fire Department Vehicle Acquisition Project $700,000
7. Blight Remediation Project $200,000
8. Water System Improvements and Water Meter Project $600,000
9. Water Department Building Construction Project $568,294
C. To be used for the Town of Williston projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Public Works and Maintenance Equipment Acquisition Project $250,000
2. Police Equipment Acquisition Project $150,000
3. Fire Equipment Acquisition Project $1,429,220
4. Recreation Facilities Improvements and Equipment Acquisition Project $50,000
5. Town Beautification and Enhancement Project $236,000
6. Water and Sewer System Improvements Project $749,652
D. To be used for the Town of Blackville projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Water and Sewer System Improvements Project $400,000
2. Blight Remediation Project $400,000
3. Police Station Improvements Project $225,000
4. Recreational Facilities Acquisition and Construction Project $635,657
E. To be used for the Town of Hilda projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Depot and Caboose Improvements Project $81,000
2. Storage and Multipurpose Building Construction Project $76,000
3. Recreational Facilities Improvements and Equipment Acquisition Project $78,000
4. Water System and Storage Improvements Project $125,935
F. To be used for the Town of Snelling projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Recreational Facilities and Equipment Improvements Project $215,000
G. To be used for the Town of Kline projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Concession Building Improvements Project $55,430
2. Town Hall Facility and Equipment Improvement Project $37,378
3. Small Town Hall Improvements Project $6,800
4. Fire Station Improvements Project $11,800
5. Storage Building Acquisition and Construction Project $8,866
6. Public Works Equipment Acquisition Project $7,742
H. To be used for the Town of Elko projects listed in the following priority with the estimated cost to be paid from the sales and use tax or bond proceeds:
1. Town Hall Parking Lot Pavement Repair and
Drainage Improvement Project $35,000
2. Parks and Recreation Equipment Acquisition Project $54,339
CONDITIONS AND RESTRICTIONS ON THE USE OF THE SALES AND USE TAX REVENUE COLLECTED UNDER THE CAPITAL PROJECT SALES TAX ACT:
The Capital Project Sales and Use Tax shall be used for the procurement, design, architectural, engineering, surveying, soil testing, construction, improvement, reimbursement, or similar type uses related to the projects listed above, or any combination related to the foregoing that are related to the acquisition, construction, or rehabilitation of a project. Net proceeds of the sales and use tax must be expended for the purposes stated, in the priority listed above. The completion of each project funded by the sales and use tax is governed by the Capital Project Sales Tax Act (S.C. Code Ann. §4-10-300, et seq., as amended) and subject to acquisition of property and right-of-way, design and engineering considerations, funding of projects from other sources, bids in excess of project estimates, qualifications of bidders, cost overruns, financing costs, exhaustion of net sales and use tax revenues prior to the completion of each project in the order and priority stated above and other unforeseen circumstances and conditions, which, if any of these circumstances are encountered, the governmental entity receiving funds may move to the next priority project and continue through the priority list until completed, then may return to any project passed over. In the event the Capital Project Sales and Use Tax proceeds are inadequate for the payment of the bonds, the source of payment of the bonds will be ad valorem property taxes levied on all property located in Barnwell County.
INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS.
All qualified electors desiring to vote in favor of imposing the capital project sales and use tax and issuing bonds for the stated purposes shall vote “YES.” All qualified electors opposed to levying the capital project sales and use tax and issuing bonds shall vote “NO.”
YES
NO