COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - Lexington County Council members voted unanimously to indefinitely postpone a $30 vehicle registration fee.
The registration fee was the second attempt at finding a funding source for road improvements. Council members agreed that going through with the proposal was not what residents wanted.
"My recommendation would be to postpone indefinitely and for y'all to start working on advertisement and marketing on the penny for two years from now," said Scott Whetstone, a current council member who did not get re-elected for another term.
"I just think this is the wrong time for now and the constituents and the citizens of this county are fighting back and I agree this is not the way to go," he said.
Back in 2022, the county voted against a penny tax or 1% sales tax -- something many council members still support.
In neighboring Richland County, there was controversy after an audit showed the county misspent nearly $30 million dollars with its penny tax.
Councilman Todd Cullum spoke in the council meeting, saying residents are allowing what happened in Richland County to impact their vote.
WIS News 10 asked residents if they would vote in favor of a penny tax in Lexington County because the council has plans to put it back on the ballot in 2026.
"I know what happened in Richland County, and they don't know where the money went," said Kevin Ivey, a Lexington business owner.
Another local business owner Karen Norman said she would vote in favor.
She said,"I would, just because it's about the only solution we can come up with, I think a penny tax is overall a small fee to pay, it's definitely an improvement, we have to do something to fix ourselves."
Councilwoman Debra Summers asked if the referendum could include the option of either a penny tax or a registration fee.
"Can we also put on the penny referendum? Do you want to penny tax or the vehicle fee? Give them a choice," said Summers.
Right now, the majority of funds used to improve roads within the county is through the "C-fund," a partnership with the South Carolina Department of Transportation that allocates funds from the gas tax for improvements across the state.
In the meeting, the council voted to allocate $9 million from C-funds for road improvements.
Including $1 million for lane widening on Longs Pond Rd and half a million for the McCall and McQueen Street rehabilitation and intersection project.
County officials tell WIS News 10 a timeline of completion for those road projects has yet to be determined