New tax scores $58 million in first year for Richland County government to spend!

Lexington County has already paid
$450,00-plus to Allied Consulting
Engineers to help promote the tax. 

Will the disarray associated with Richland's tax influence Lexington County's penny tax vote?

The 22-year Richland County Penny Tax to nowhere is on course to take more than a billion from the hands of  the people for government projects. But so far not one project has been started.

Promised roads, public transit and pedestrian projects are all waiting for the infusion of tax cash. 

But Richalnd County has hired a full staff of “program developers” The “team” is working to prioritize projects. They say dozens and dozens of projects are in the pipeline, it's just a matter time to settle the legal disputes surrounding the vote to get the tax money. 

The election to generate the $58 million sales tax is still under suspicion, but government leaders in Richland County went ahead and collected the $58 million in new taxpayer dollars.

In 2012, when the tax allegedly and narrowly passed, voters were treated to excessively long waits, and some eventually left before voting. The vote was under so much suspicion, that Richland County Election Commission personnel were removed from positions, but placed elsewhere in the voter commission office. At last check, it is not certain if any of the order required to conduct an election has been restored, when the county has another election.  

Politicians and government employees in Lexington County are promoting the same sort of penny tax. That vote will be on a referendum in November. Seeing the chaos and uncertainly surrounding its neighbors penny tax cannot instill confidence in Lexington County voters.

Also, since the maasive-money penny sales tax passed in Richland County, controversy has raged over the ethics of Midland's politicians. A major law enforcement figure in Lexington County has been indicted for taking a bribe. Federal courtroom accusations against Columbia's mayor have sparked wild-eyed curiosity from residents.