From ABC News 4:
State Supreme Court overturns Charleston sales tax
Location: Charleston County, SC
Posted: August 25, 2003 12:01 PM EST
URL: http://www.abcnews4.com/news/stories/0803/99928.html

Charleston County, SC (AP) - The state Supreme Court has nullified a half-cent sales tax passed by Charleston County voters last November.  The justices ruled today that the ballot question on the new tax appeared to encourage people to vote for the levy

The ballot told people to vote yes if they favored traffic congestion relief, safe roads and clean water.  More than a dozen local elected officials sued after the tax passed by 865 votes

The half-cent tax was expected to collect more than a billion dollars over 25 years to build roads and bridges and help pay for the area's bus system.  The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority took out a three-and-a-half million dollar loan in anticipation of the new tax

Authorities members have said they might have to cut service or complete shut down without the new revenue

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