Lancaster County voters decisively rejected a proposed 1% transportation sales tax on Tuesday, November 4, 2025, leaving the future of key road projects including the long-debated widening of Highway 521, uncertain.
With all precincts reporting, unofficial results from the South Carolina Election Commission show roughly two-thirds of voters opposed the measure, a similar margin to the 2024 defeat of an earlier version of the plan.
The referendum asked voters to approve a countywide 1% sales and use tax for up to 10 years to fund an estimated $253 million in transportation improvements. The package included widening Highway 521 and had it passed, Lancaster County’s total sales tax rate would have risen to 9%.
Tuesday’s vote marks the second consecutive defeat for a transportation sales tax in Lancaster County, signaling persistent skepticism among voters despite escalating traffic and growth pressures, particularly in the Indian Land area along the Highway 521 corridor. WBTV, WSOC, and regional reporting note that while many residents acknowledge the need for road improvements, opponents expressed concern over higher consumer costs, the overall tax burden, and trust in how funds would be managed.
Support for the tax was stronger in parts of the county most affected by congestion, including Sun City and surrounding commercial corridors, but that backing was not enough to overcome countywide opposition.
County leaders had framed the referendum as a critical local funding tool to match or leverage state and federal dollars and to move highway and safety projects forward more quickly. After the defeat, officials have indicated they will continue to pursue grants and other external funding sources for Highway 521 and related projects, but no immediate alternative revenue plan has been finalized.
The results will now be certified by election officials. In the meantime, the message from voters is clear: they want traffic and safety problems addressed, but not through this version of a penny sales tax.
Sign up for our Sunday Spectator. Delivered to your inbox every Sunday, with all the news from the week.
