School Board Supports Tax Reform Initiative

Dorchester Two school board signed a letter of support for tax reform group Reduce Our Awful Rates of South Carolina during Monday's regular board meeting.

ROAR SC is a citizens' coalition seeking to stabilize revenue growth, improve competitiveness, lower administration and compliance costs and create a fairer tax system, according to its website.

According to board Chair Frances Townsend, the board's support is mainly based in new state legislation that funds school districts not through property tax but by sales tax, known as Act 388. 

"We really need that money, and we don't need to short change our students any more," Townsend said Wednesday in a telephone interview. "In Dorchester Two, property taxes seem to be a reasonable way of funding schools and roads and so on because that's all we have."

ROAR SC seeks tax reform through lessening the burden on certain high-tax areas and including new taxes — which would lessen the tax burden overall and fund necessary aspects like roads and schools, according to Townsend.

"We collect less than half of the taxes that are available," she said. "They're trying to get a whole revamp of the (state's) tax system."

Throwing support behind a tax reform group is not very common for school boards.

"No body really has gotten involved with tax reform," Townsend said of other school boards.

Mission Statement for ROAR SC

Reduce our tax rates with honest tax reform. End special interest tax exemptions and loopholes. Improve the quality of life for every South Carolina citizen.

For more information on the organization, click here.