Aiken City Council Approved One Cent Sales Tax Projects

Last night City Council approved the final list of items for the One Cent Sales Tax Projects to be submitted to the County of Aiken for consideration and approval for the next phase of the program. Once the County approves, the list is expected to be on the November ballot for voter approval.

Steve Homoki, Reggie Ebner and I fought for a more fiscally responsible list of projects but were out-voted consistently by Councilmembers Clyburn, Price, Wells and Mayor Cavanaugh. We did not support funding for the YMCA indoor swimming pool, the Teen Center to be located at the YMCA complex or the African American Center. We did support funding for the SPCA facility since it fulfills a need and function of the City. Contributing $1,000,000 to build the SPCA facility is less cost than building a facility of our own. There are other non-infrastructure projects on the list that we did not support. On the positive side, we were able to add $795,000 to the Water/Sewer Infrastructure program. I am including a copy of the list for your information.

Dick Dewar

The first number is what was requested and the second number is what Council approved. I have great difficulty in putting tables on these posts.


ONE CENT SALES TAX PROJECTS

1 P.S. Mobile Vehicle Computers 500,000 500,000
2 GAP Playground 50,000 50,000
3 CPI Fencing/Canopy 600,000 500,000
4 Upgrade Burn Building 250,000 250,000
5 Library Park 155,000 155,000
6 Northside Renewal 1,750,000 1,750,000
7 Water/Sewer Infrastructure 6,300,000 7,095,000
8 Street Resurfacing 1,750,000 1,750,000
9 Streetscape 700,000 700,000
10 SPCA 1,000,000 1,000,000
11 Walking Track Phase II 200,000 100,000
12 Eustis Park Center 500,000 200,000
13 Expansion of Municipal Building 3,000,000 3,000,000
14 New Fire Headquarters Station 1,500,000 1,500,000
15 Hitchcock Woods Storm Drainage 4,000,000 4,000,000
16 Whiskey Road Improvements 700,000 700,000
17 Renovate Existing Public Safety HQ 900,000 600,000
18 Hitchcock Parkway Widening 4,000,000 4,000,000
19 University Parkway Widening 3,000,000 3,000,000
20 Northside District Park (Land Only) 500,000 500,000
21 New Sidewalks (Schools) 500,000 500,000
22 Open Space Acquisition 1,000,000 500,000
23 Powderhouse Road Extension 5,000,000 5,000,000
24 African –American Center 1,000,000 350,000
25 Teen Center - YMCA 1,000,000 500,000
26 Indoor Swimming Pool - YMCA 1,000,000 400,000

Total 42,100,000 $38,600,000

Estimate $38,600,000 from Sales Tax III