Anderson County’s November ballot just got a little bit longer, as Anderson County Council approved one measure on Sunday alcohol sales and a second on a two percent hospitality tax for unincorporated areas of the county.
Council approved a non-binding advisory referendum on the November ballot to allow the hospitality tax to provide funding for parks and recreation.
The two percent hospitality tax would generate approximately $3.4 million annually for such projects. Nearly all of the county’s municipalities already have the two percent hospitality tax, and the City of Anderson generated $2.7 million from their hospitality tax last year.
“All this will do is give us a mandate for the conversation,” said Anderson County Councilman Craig Wooten who proposed the referendum. “Can we not have a conversation about economic development and quality of life?”
“There is a way we can bring down property taxes if the referendum passes,” Wooten said. “We’re not seeking a way to avoid accountability.”
Pam Christopher, president of the Anderson Area Chamber of Commerce, said the chamber’s 800 businesses asked her to attend Tuesday’s meeting to express their support for a hospitality tax.
The chamber has established a committee made up of four citizens from each council district, including the school superintendents and mayors, to help explain the benefits of the hospitality tax to citizens.
“We’re leaving dollars on the table right now,” Christopher said. “Right now we are missing out on that money. Look at our neighboring counties and what they have done with hospitality tax.”
Christopher said 65 percent of the funds from the hospitality tax would come from tourists or those visiting those areas of Anderson County.
“I run a restaurant in Iva (which already has a hospitality tax in place), and I’ve never had a customer complain about the hospitality tax,” said Anderson County Councilman Ray Graham, adding that a new hospitality tax in unincorporated areas of the county is important for economic development.
“Growth in the county is enormous, and we have to start focusing on recreation. Every industry that comes to Anderson County asks us about schools, public safety and our recreation opportunities.”
“I have asked the administrator to put together a list of which projects can, and which projects cannot be funded, by funds from a hospitality tax,” said Anderson County Councilwoman Cindy Wilson.
Wilson said council will prioritize such projects if the referendum suggests broad support of the new tax.
One citizen offered outright opposition to even having a referendum on the subject.
“I find that (the hospitality tax) totally unnecessary,” said Bob Martin, a resident of Anderson for nearly three decades. “Unless you can describe to me what you are going to spend that money on, this is a pig in a poke.”
Chris Sullivan of Anderson disagreed, saying his family was forced to travel to find opportunities for his daughters to participate in sports.
“We travel all of the state state and we’re so far behind other counties,” Sullivan said. “Something needs to be done.”
Graham said the other proposal, a two-question referendum on Sunday alcohol sales which will also be included on the ballot, is the result of local businesses expressing concern that they are at a disadvantage because of the current laws. The City of Anderson already allows the sale of alcoholic beverages on Sunday, and may of these are next door or across the road from other businesses just outside the city limits.
Voters will be asked to answer two questions considering the new :
- “Shall the South Carolina Department of Revenue be authorized to issue temporary permits in this county for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours to allow the possession, sale, and consumption of alcoholic liquors by the drink to bona fide nonprofit organizations and business establishments otherwise authorized to be licensed for consumption-on-premises sales?”
- “Shall the Department of Revenue be authorized to issue temporary permits in this county for a period not to exceed twenty-four hours to allow the sale of beer and wine at permitted off-premises locations without regard to the days or hours of sales?”
The chamber also voiced support for this as well.
“We absolutely are behind this, it is impacting on businesses that cannot sell on Sunday,” Christopher said. “Currently people can go into a restaurant and by a beverage, but they cannot sell beverages to take home. This hurts our local businesses.”
“If our citizens can’t buy here, there are going to neighboring counties.”
“The City of Anderson already allows this, and being a business owner, I understand the those who are running these businesses wanting to make a living,” Graham said.
“We want to have the citizens the opportunity to decide whether we want to do this.”