Vehicle Fee Would Pave Way for Progress in Anderson

By Greg Wilson/Anderson Observer

UPDATED OCT. 28

There’s a big economic pothole facing Anderson County, one which is getting deeper every year. 

In spite of the state lawmakers pledge to do something about the state’s deteriorating roads and bridges, their efforts have done nothing to smooth out the 1,535 miles of county roads in Anderson or the 163 bridges for which the county is responsible. We cannot count on the state to sufficiently maintain state roads, much less our county roads.

Just to maintain this roads/bridges infrastructure in the county would require $7.5 million per year. The reality is, however, ongoing sustainable funding for our roads and bridges is not in sight. County council has pieced together a variety of temporary funding sources for 2016, but it was far short of the amount needed just to put band aids on our crumbling roads.

Meanwhile, Anderson County’s population is booming. The population has nearly doubled since 1970, and has grown by nearly 35,000 since 2000. 

This growth has created an accelerated demand for services, but an increase in taxes and fees have not kept pace with the population growth to provide for the growing population. The county’s base millage rate remains among the lowest in the state. 

When county council meets Tuesday night, it will finally consider a $30-per-vehicle fee. Out of each fee, $25 will be used to repair roads and $5 from each fee will be used for litter control. It is the perfect time to consider a vehicle fee in Anderson County and help pave the way for our future.

Currently 23 counties in South Carolina have vehicle fees. Horry County has the highest fees at $50 per year, while Abbeville County boasts the lowest - and oddest - at $13.99. The statewide average is roughly $24 per year per vehicle. 

I have talked to leadership in almost all of Anderson’s charitable organizations, and most agreed that even the working poor and those on fixed incomes could absorb such modest fees if it meant better roads. 

A number of national studies also suggest that well-maintained roads more than offset the cost of vehicle fees in savings on tires and other mechanical repairs. 

So there is no reason not to act now.

If Anderson County approved the $25 annual vehicle fee, with a provision that the money can never be used for any purpose other than road and bridge maintenance and repair, it would generate more than $4.3 million annually. 

A $30 per vehicle fee would bring in $5.2 million, close to enough to actually repair and maintain the county’s road system. 

Breaking down the math, a $35 vehicle fee would cost the average owner 10.4 cents a day.

Essentially, the fee means that every owner of a vehicle would be providing a sustainable source of funding Anderson County roads and bridges at a cost of pennies per day. 

Martin Luther once wrote, “When we preach the truth, the dogs begin to bark.” And so will the barking begin if county council proposes an annual vehicle fee. There are those who protest any increase in taxes and fees, no matter the efficacy of the decision. And it the county suffers from such hollow barking.

In the past, one owner of classic cars in the county protested that it would be costly for him to pay fees for his fleet of 10 antique vehicles. Such protests are just short of silly. Anyone with the means to collect such vehicles is certainly able to fund the county roads on which the person will drive to car shows. 

Since the recession of 2008, Anderson County Council has been sensitive to any increase in taxes or fees. In the years 2008-2012, such prudence made sense. 

But today, Anderson County has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the state. Wages are up, new jobs are everywhere and more on the way. The county has more international investment than any other in South Carolina, with more than 50 companies representing 23 nations calling Anderson home. 

The new industrial park in Sandy Springs and continued attention to quality of life and other issues which are crucial to economic development, Anderson cannot afford to allow our roads to continue to crumble.

But that is exactly what could happen if a sustainable funding source is not found soon. 

Let’s hope council sees the wisdom of a vehicle fee to provide these funds, and passes the first reading of this good ordinance Tuesday night.