Thursday's event, held at the foot of the Cooper River bridges, carried an even greater sense of urgency than the last time.

Voters narrowly rejected a 25-year, half-cent tax in 2000 and then narrowly approved it two years ago. But the state Supreme Court voided the election because of problems with the ballot wording. If the tax fails again, there might not be a fourth try.

"This is a must referendum," North Charleston Mayor Keith Summey said, and Charleston Mayor Joe Riley called it "one of the most important decisions our community will face in this generation."

Wilbur Johnson, chairman of a Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce, said the Lowcountry's quality of life is at stake, adding, "The biggest issue we all face is traffic. You sit in it. I sit in it. Your neighbors, your family, your friends sit in it."

Officials said the half-percent increase, which would raise the local sales tax from 6 percent to 6.5 percent, would cost the average person about $30 per year and that one-third of the money would come from people living outside the county, including tourists and Berkeley and Dorchester residents who cross the county line to shop.

Most of the money, about 83 percent, would go to roads, bridges and public transit. If the tax fails, Charleston's already limited bus service is expected to come to an end by early next year.

The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority already has slashed routes by 75 percent since the 2002 vote was tossed out. But if the half-cent is approved, only some of those routes would be restored, such as the DASH trolleys downtown.

CARTA plans to use the new money to provide a different mix of park-and-ride lots, smaller buses and neighborhood routes and even some on-demand service that would function a bit like a public taxi service.

The half-cent also would provide about $221 million for parks and open space. While County Council would decide how to spend that sum, the money likely would go toward urban parks and ball fields, preserving undeveloped land and expanding the park system of the Charleston County Parks and Recreation Commission.

Brian Moody, an accountant and Charleston County School Board member, is leading the Charleston Metro Chamber of Commerce's campaign, which could raise and spend more than $200,000 to get the tax passed. He encouraged voters not to have a knee-jerk reaction to the Nov. 2 tax vote.

"This is not the same referendum we had four years ago, and if you haven't looked at it recently, you have to look again," Moody said. "This is a thinking person's referendum."

A second referendum question would give County Council the ability to issue bonds for certain road projects, including widening Johnnie Dodds Boulevard from the bridge to Interstate 526; improving the Glenn McConnell Parkway at Bees Ferry Road; three improvements on James Island; an access ramp from Savannah Highway onto the Highway 61 connector; and a new road connecting Ashley Phosphate and the Palmetto Parkway through Spartan Boulevard in North Charleston. The second question matters only if the tax is approved.

The county has a list of more than 20 other road projects that could benefit from the tax, although all would be subject to further review.

No County Council members attended the kickoff, but all seven candidates who attended a chamber forum earlier this week voiced support for the tax, including incumbents Tim Scott, Barrett Lawrimore, Carolyn Conlon and challengers Elliott Summey, Colleen Condon, Marilyn Henderson and Curtis Inabinett.

While County Council would make the final decision on spending the money, its decisions would be influenced by organized input from citizens' groups, master plans and other local governments.

Summey praised County Council for its position on the half-cent tax, noting that council will get all sorts of input before making any final decisions.

"It takes politics out of the equation. It will be based on merit and need and not on who has the most political clout," Summey said. "I admire any elected leader that is willing to give away authority, and that is what County Council has done on the half-cent sales tax."

It's unclear if the mayors and the chamber will face any organized opposition this year. The Coastal Conservation League, an environmental group that coordinated the opposition in 2002, is still weighing its position.

Eric Meyer of the league said Thursday he is optimistic about finding common ground with tax supporters, adding that County Council's recent commitment to a transportation plan and ample public involvement "is an encouraging and responsible step in the right direction.

"We are hopeful that similar strides can be made towards protecting rural lands and expanding our parks."

Click here to return to story:
http://www.charleston.net/stories/092404/loc_24halfcent.shtml