Lancaster to decide Monday if voters will consider 15-year road sales tax. What to know

Should Lancaster County shoppers pay another penny in tax on every dollar they spend for the next 15 years, if it’ll fix U.S. 521 ?

Before voters can decide, Lancaster County Council has to agree whether to let them. Council will vote Monday night on a $400 million transportation sales tax proposal. The decision could put a referendum on the Nov. 5 ballot. A public hearing comes right before Monday’s vote.

The transportation would improve more than just U.S. 521, or Charlotte Highway, that runs like a backbone through the high-growth Indian Land area. That road is a main focus and likely the most expensive, however.

There’s no guarantee voters will see the referendum this fall. There’s been discussion of pushing it back to next year, when the ballot should be less crowded with candidates and other funding questions.

Here are four key points to know ahead of Monday night’s decision:

What’s on the sales tax ballot?

The decision is broken into two questions.

The first asks whether the county can charge a 1% sales tax to fund a variety of transportation projects from highway widening to bridges, bike paths and sidewalks. The tax would run 15 years or until $405 million is collected, whichever comes first.

The second question asks whether the county can issue up to $250 million in bonds, to be paid back by the new tax revenue, to jump start work on transportation projects. It specifies at least $60 million would go toward U.S. 521 upgrades.

What roads would the new penny fix?

The only road mentioned by name, and it’s in both ballot questions, is U.S. 521. But the county project list that came up with a $400 million figure includes more than 125 projects. Highlights include:

▪ $165 million for major widening on U.S. 521, Harrisburg, Barberville, Henry Harris and Riverside roads

▪ $100 million to resurface state, county and municipal roads

▪ $30 million for 11 intersection improvements

▪ $30 million for miscellaneous spending like grant matching funds, inflation, property acquisition and project management

▪ $25 million to resurface secondary state roads

▪ $15 million for roundabouts at Henry Harris/Marvin roads, Steele Hill/Van Wyck roads, University/Hubbard drives, Shiloh Unity Road/Monroe Highway and Shiloh Unity/Camp Creek roads

▪ $15 million for signalization and utilities

▪ $8 million for economic development, from business park roads to land acquisition

▪ $7 million for greenway or sidewalk improvements

▪ $5 million for county-maintained roads Vance Baker, Calvin Hall, Reece and Lymon Reece roads, plus Sandra Lane

When will the roads be fixed?

Timeline questions start with the referendum vote itself, which council can set Monday.

Arguments for holding a vote in November include cost advantages since they typically increase with time, a quicker pace to start construction and alignment with North Carolina plans to widen their end of U.S. 521 in 2026.

Council members also have discussed a referendum in the fall of next year. That move would take the decision off a presidential election ballot where many voters might not turn out specifically for roads.

It also would avoid a double hit to voters’ wallets, since this fall also has a $588 million school bond on the ballot.

There would be a smaller cost to having the election next year, since not all voting precincts would be open. Costs would be similar to any special election held for a county office or referendum.

Repaving and smaller road jobs could start within weeks or months of a referendum passing. Large projects like road widening can take several years of design and right-of-way purchase before construction starts, then at least a year or two of construction.

Will this penny tax fix U.S. 521?

Efforts to improve U.S. 521 go back further than the latest cent sales tax proposal.

The Indian Land panhandle is the one part of Lancaster County that’s included in the Rock Hill-Fort Mill Area Transportation Study . That group allocated federal transportation dollars to urbanized areas in York and Lancaster counties.

Two years ago the study group outlined $103 million to $125 million of needed improvements on U.S. 521 . Early last year the group estimated costs as high as $143 million.

Costs depend on how intersections along the highway are improved. Current discussions involve a mix of road widening and traffic rerouting through limited left or right turns. Different intersections would get different upgrades.

Last month David Hooper, who heads the transportation study, projected costs at $115 million to $140 million.

The $400 million road list Lancaster County used to set up the referendum question puts $60 million toward U.S. 521. But the proposed ballot states sales tax proceeds will be used to finance U.S. 521 widening in its first question, and that “at least” $60 million for the road could be financed in the second.

No other roads are mentioned, so their funding isn’t tied directly to the ballot.

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