SPARTANBURG COUNTY, S.C. (WSPA) – The Penny Sales Tax is a hot topic as we get closer to the November election. Residents will either vote to continue the one-cent tax or not.

With the extension of the Penny Sales Tax, the county plans to repair hundreds of roads, multiple intersections, and more. During a meeting Tuesday night, they broke all of it down, while residents weighed in.

“I’m in favor of it,” said Angelia Edwards.

During a meeting, county officials discussed the 577 projects the extended sales tax would go towards.

Officials said it’s the exact same tax they’ve had in the county for the past 6 years, and some residents said they are comfortable checking yes on the ballot.

“I already knew hands down, I am,” said Edwards.

“The monies that’s raised from the penny sales tax, will be used for the projects for which it was specified,” said Eva Keith.

With Spartanburg County being declared the most dangerous county for vehicle fatalities, Allen Smith, with OneSpartanburg, Inc. said these projects would help.

“14 of our most dangerous intersections, 322 crashes, 149 people injured and three people lost their lives. Every single one of those intersections would be addressed, if we vote yes on November 7th,” he said.

“The roads are terrible, the sooner they can solve that, the better off we will all be,” said Keith.

This continued tax would generate $478 million in infrastructure projects. Officials said at least 30% of that would come from visitors.

“If you quantify $478 million dollars, 30%, that’s 143 million dollars that will come, conservatively, from people who don’t live here,” said Smith. “I say conservatively because that’s based on a study from 2017.”

They expect that percentage to go up as more businesses have come to the county.

The presentation highlighted the county’s roads received a failing grade.

“We have roads that we actually avoid simply because we realize those are some of the worst ones in the state,” said Edwards.

Residents agree the roads are terrible but have mixed feelings about extending the tax.

“I don’t think it’s going to cost me a lot, overall, for the county or the city, it should be a good idea because we need to improve our roads,” said Keith.

“Your purposing 250 dollars a year, per residence, through this additional penny sales tax. A penny sounds small, but when you figure it that way, that’s a lot of extra cash,” said a resident during the meeting.

The current sales tax ends in April 2024, and if approved, the extension tax would expire in April 2030.

County officials said an alternative to the sales tax would be increasing property taxes, which they said they do not want to do.