Gas tax hike fixes roads, bridges, leaders say

The new head of the state's transportation agency and a key Senate budget writer both said South Carolina taxes and fees should be increased to pay for mounting bridge and road maintenance and other transportation needs.

In the wake of an Interstate bridge collapse in Minnesota Wednesday, state transportation officials estimated South Carolina has more than 1,000 bridges in the same need of maintenance as the collapsed bridge.

Transportation Department Secretary H.B. "Buck" Limehouse, who was confirmed to the job by the Senate this morning, argued the state should consider raising the state's 16.8 cents-per-gallon gasoline tax, or imposing a sales tax on fuel sales.

The Transportation Department can not afford to meet state road needs, Limehouse said, which has forced counties to raise their sales tax rates to pay for local projects.

"If the public can see their money is well-spent," Limehouse said, "they don't mind paying it."

Senate Finance committee chairman Hugh Leatherman, R-Florence, agreed. Leatherman said the General Assembly should  look at raising the gas tax, raising the $300 sales tax cap on car and truck sales or boosting funding for the State Infrastructure Bank, which helps finance road projects.

"I think you'll see a combination," Leatherman said.

"At some point in time the state of South Carolina is going to have to generate new revenues for the Department of Transportation," he said. "It may take a major catastrophe like that for us to step up and have the will."