1. United States
2. S.C.
3. Letter

The current version of the SCDOT Modernization bill aims to pawn off thousands of miles of backlogged, state-owned road work onto the 46 counties. Instead of sending state gas tax money to follow these roads, the state is using financial extortion. The bill amends the law so that counties are now mandated to spend 33% of their local “C” funds on state highways (up from 25%). The only way a county can avoid this penalty and keep its own “C” funds is if they agree to take all of the non-essential roads the state wants to dump on them. Every dollar we’ve earmarked for local safety improvements and park expansions will eventually be cannibalized to fix “new” state roads that should have been repaired twenty years ago.