Committee hopes to have bill ready for road repairs by January

COLUMBIA, SC (WIS) - After county penny tax referendums failed in Greenville and Lexington counties on Election Day, state representatives talked about how to allot funds with county leaders at today's Transportation and Infrastructure committee meeting.

Right now, over two-thirds of the in the state roads – including some small, residential roads -- are maintained by funds from the South Carolina Department of Transportation.

"While I understand it's a state road, I don't think it should be," Rep. Weston Newton said. "I don't think whether the pothole gets fixed should have anything to do with folks in Columbia or the way that that's processed."

A possible answer to this dilemma has been raising the state's gas tax. It's an answer that has continuously been brought up over the last few weeks.

Bill Ross of the Alliance to Fix Our Roads has noted that as much as 30 percent of the money from that tax comes from out-of-state drivers lightening the burden wouldn't solely be on South Carolinians.

Unfortunately, attempts to raise the gas tax have not passed in recent years. Members of the committee are looking to have a bill prepared before session starts in January.

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