3 Utilization Taxes that could increase funding for education and infrastructure improvements in Charleston County

By Mark A. Leon

Two major areas of concern in Charleston County spurred by the rapid residency growth and tourism spike are academic quality (teacher to student ratio, quality of the curriculum, teacher salaries and commercial space) and the infrastructure of our residential and city streets and sidewalks.

We propose 3 utilization taxes that we feel will drive toward an eco-friendly behavioral change and raise funding for academics and infrastructure improvements.  All three put the weigh on the user, not the mass population.

1.  Grocery store bag fee of $.25 per bag (plastic or paper).  Many areas have banned the use of plastic bags and urged consumers to bring their own reusable bags, but paper bags remain and in some regions plastic as well.  A sign alone reminding shoppers to use their own bags will not alone change behavior, but a fee of $.25 per bag will shift thinking and ultimately lead us to a paper and plastic-free community.  This tax over time will diminish as change management begins to shift behavior and fewer people are relying on paper or plastic bags.

• Between Memorial Day and Labor Day between 9:00 AM and 6:00 PM, a $2.00 per car fee will be charged for any car entering Folly Beach, Isle of Palms or Sullivan’s Island or a $50.00 seasonal pass.  For sunrise and sunset chasers, dinner time foodies or evening beach events, these hours will not affect you.  These are prime hours for local and out of town beachgoers.  This is a small fee to pay considering parking will run between $10.00 and $20.00 per car.

• South Carolina is ranked #42 in the nation in gas taxes.  Translated, we have the 8^th cheapest gas in the country.  Across Charleston County, if we increase the gas tax by 5 cents per gallon, we can raise millions of dollars to support infrastructure and academics.  This is a small price to pay when you consider the cost of fixing your alignment after you hit a massive pothole.

If we implement these three utilization tax solutions, we can begin to move in the right direction to ensure we are giving our children the proper education and our local and tourist travelers have streets and roadways that are safe and well maintained.