Send Less Money to City, Some Say: Unincorporated Areas Deserve More, Richland Council Members

By Joy L. Woodson, The State, Columbia, S.C.

Jul. 5–Richland County Council members want to stop spending the lion’s share of hotel and meal tax money on organizations based in the city of Columbia.

Though the Northeast Richland and Dutch Fork/Harbison areas generated most of the $850,000 in accommodations and hospitality taxes doled out in the 2006-07 county budget, unincorporated areas will receive one-fifth of the funding.

Councilman Mike Montgomery, whose district includes Forest Acres, Arcadia Lakes and the Decker Boulevard corridor, said that has to stop.

“We need to change our process to take into consideration where they’re collected,” he said. “I don’t think you find the city funding things in the county, though they are related.”

He said four key county ZIP codes — 29223 and 29229 in Northeast, and 29210 and 29212 in Dutch Fork and Harbison — account for 75 percent of taxes collected.

The revenue comes from taxes on food and beverages, admission costs and hotels, and they are used to fund tourism-related activities within the county. Last year, the county reaped $890,000 in accommodations and hospitality taxes.

Councilman Paul Livingston said he could see the logic in Montgomery’s argument, but he stressed that funding city events and agencies helps Richland County.

“If you didn’t have those venues … downtown, you wouldn’t have folks actually even coming to Columbia or Richland County,” said Livingston, who represents the north Columbia/Monticello Road area.

The county has funded agencies and events including:

— Columbia Classical Ballet

— Palmetto Capital City Classic football game

— Columbia International Festival

— Columbia Museum of Art

— Historic Columbia Foundation

— EdVenture

“So much of our money is spent in the city that I think more should be spent in the unincorporated areas of the county,” said Val Hutchinson, who represents Northeast Richland on County Council. “It’s just way out of whack now.”

She said the current method of allotting hotel and meal tax is “grossly unfair” to the areas in unincorporated Richland County. Northeast Richland received $20,000 in hospitality taxes this time around.

Possible solutions suggested by council members:

— Distributing the tax revenue, in part, to where the money was collected, so groups in unincorporated Richland County have a better shot

— Requiring the committee that recommends how to spend the money to give reasons for why some areas and events were not considered and others were

Councilman Damon Jeter, who called for more money for the fifth annual Chick-fil-A Classic sporting event at Richland Northeast High School, said there are many reputable city events and agencies the county funds with the money. His district runs north of Forest Drive and south of I-20.

“It’s just unfortunate that some of the things we spend the money on happen to be in the city,” he said.

“I wouldn’t go so far as to say that there is a plot to spend all the money within the city. That’s just not the case.”

Reach Woodson at (803) 771-8692.

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Copyright (c) 2006, The State, Columbia, S.C.

Distributed by McClatchy-Tribune Business News.

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