LAST CHANCE: Final presentation on Local Option Sales Tax referendum set for Oct. 26

New tool shows what sales tax referendum could mean for your tax bill

Assistant County Administrator Brandon Ellis will deliver his final scheduled in-person presentation on the upcoming Local Option Sales Tax referendum on Monday, Oct. 26 at 5:30 p.m. at the Emergency Operations Center (2222-C Highmarket St.). A virtual workshop will also take place at 6 p.m. on Oct. 29. Both sessions aim to help voters understand the proposal on the Nov. 3 general election ballot, where residents will decide whether to adopt a 1% Local Option Sales Tax to fund property tax relief and local government operations.

To help residents see how the measure could affect their property tax bills, Georgetown County has launched a new online calculator. The Tax Relief Estimator, available at georgetowndecides.org, allows residents to input their property type, tax district, and appraised property value to estimate their potential property tax credit.

For example, on an owner-occupied home, the calculator estimates the credit at about $229 a year per $100,000 of appraised value in unincorporated county areas, about $257 in the Town of Andrews, and about $314 in the City of Georgetown. For an owner-occupied home in unincorporated areas, this represents roughly a 22.6% reduction in property taxes. Actual credits would be set annually by the County Auditor based on collections and countywide values. 

How the tax would work

The Local Option Sales Tax would add 1 cent per dollar to items currently subject to South Carolina’s 6% sales tax. Items exempt from state sales tax—such as unprepared groceries, prescription medications, and gasoline—would remain exempt.

County officials conservatively estimate the tax would generate approximately $12 million annually. Under state law, 71% of funds collected must go directly back to property owners as tax credits on primary homes, second homes, vehicles, boats, and other taxable property. The remaining 29% would be distributed to the county and local municipalities to support government operations. Because the tax is collected at point-of-sale, visitors and tourists traveling through the county will also contribute to the revenue.

“Everyone pays this tax. It’s not just residents of Georgetown County,” said Ellis, who has led public information sessions on the referendum since late summer. “It’s visitors who come here on vacation. It’s folks who are just passing through from Charleston to Myrtle Beach… They’re all contributing to that tax revenue as well.”

Vehicle owners—including renters—would also receive a credit on their vehicle tax bills. If approved, the tax would remain in place unless put back on the ballot by County Council and repealed by voters. Currently, 32 of South Carolina’s 46 counties have a Local Option Sales Tax, and none have ever voted to repeal it.

Get your questions answered

Georgetown County takes an impartial stance and does not advocate for or against the referendum. The goal of the information campaign is strictly educational.

“We want folks to understand exactly what this is instead of forming their own assumptions,” Ellis said. “Voters decide which way they want to vote. We’re there to provide information on how it works, how the revenue is generated, where the revenue is going to go and how that property tax relief would work, so they can make the most informed decision.”

How and where to vote

Early voting runs through Saturday, Oct. 31, from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. (excluding Sundays). Early voting locations include:

• Andrews Recreation Center: 220 S. Cedar Ave., Andrews

• Choppee Recreation Center: 8259 Choppee Road, Georgetown

• Waccamaw Recreation Center: 83 Duncan Ave., Pawleys Island

• Georgetown County Voter Registration and Elections Office: 303 N. Hazard St., Georgetown

Absentee ballots by mail must be requested by Oct. 23. Polls will be open on Election Day, Nov. 3, from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. Voters must present a valid photo ID. For sample ballots and additional details, visit gtcountysc.gov/vote  or call 843-545-3339.