As voters decide on $6 billion tax to fix roads. How much money from last time is unspent?
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Ride 3 was the last ballot measure that devoted many pennies to fixing and repairing roads in Horry County.
So far, numbers from the beginning of the month show that less than half of that money has been spent, and four projects have been fully completed.
As of Oct. 1, $249,491,712.97 was spent out of the $592 million total for Ride 3, according to a Oct. 1, 2024 update on the project that was part of the Horry County Infrastructure and Regulation Committee Oct. 8 meeting packet.
Ride 3 is slated to receive $592 million over eight years, ending in April 2025, the county’s website said.
Multiple requests for comment about the status of Ride 3 to the Fix Horry County Roads campaign group chairperson Steve Mays went unanswered as of Thursday morning.
When reached by phone, RIDE Program Manager Jason Thompson’s office said he was not in, and to contact the county’s Public Information Office with any inquiries.
According to the ballot measure’s home page, the tax first went into effect on May 1, 2017 and will expire on April 30, 2025.
When voters decided to pass the Ride 3 measure in November 2016, they agreed to increase all retail sales, accommodations and prepared food and beverage sales in the county by a penny and use that money for a specific list of road projects within the county, according to the Ride 3 webpage.
One Ride 3 project says its delayed
Out of the 14 road construction projects that are listed on the online dashboard, just one has the words “Delay” next to it in bright red letters.
U.S. 17 Business Intersection Improvements in Garden City is intended to improve the capacity and safety at three intersections in Garden City, including intersection widening, turn lane extension and “other operational improvements,” the Ride 3 dashboard states.
The estimated budget for this project is $19.8 million, according to the dashboard. Under estimated completion dates for construction and row acquisition for the project, the Ride 3 dashboard lists the letters “TBD” twice in each category.
What’s next for road improvements in Horry County?
During this election cycle in Horry County there is one local ballot measure for the next installment of road projects called Ride 4.
If passed, a 1% special sales and use tax will be used to fund different road projects, pave dirt roads and enhance mass transit systems in Horry County, the ballot measure on the sample ballot provided by the South Carolina Election Commission said.
Ride 3 is the first project listed after defining the special sales and use tax to voters on the ballot.
“Project (1) to commence in Years 1-5 the completion of any Ride III Projects, if any,” the question on this year’s general election ballot says.
According to previous reporting, Ride 4 will have an allowable collection period for up to 25 years or until they collect $6,350,000,000, whichever comes first. If passed by voters, the collection will begin on May 1, 2025, following the end of Ride 3 collections on April 30, 2025.
