BY ROBERT BEHRE
Of The Post and Courier Staff
Charleston County's proposed half-cent sales tax has won a tepid endorsement from the Charleston Area League of Women Voters.
On Nov. 2, county voters will decide whether to raise the sales tax by a half-cent to raise $1.3 billion for new roads, public transportation and open space.
The league agreed the county needs new funding for all three, but its members wondered if there would be enough accountability and public participation.
Its members also were concerned "specifically with the ineffectual management of CARTA," according to a statement released by League President Barbara Zia. The Charleston Area Regional Transportation Authority (CARTA) runs the area's bus service and is expected to fold if the tax fails.
The league also felt County Council should do more to provide for a long-range plan of specific projects, to guarantee public participation and to assure that the slices for public transportation and green space won't be reduced.
The league and the American Society for Public Administration plan an Oct. 26 forum on -the tax. It is set for 7 p.m. at Charleston County's main library.
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