OUR VIEWPOINT: Action Was Long Overdue

The Spartanburg Herald
March 4, 1954
Non-automotive content excluded.

Spartanburg County's representatives in the State House of Representatives Tuesday agreed to take action on two important proposals.

One of them, involving gasoline tax revenue, was long overdue. The legislators agreed to give cities and towns in the county a share of the tax money collected on gasoline sales.

One cent per gallon of the state tax is refunded to the counties on the basis of the number of automobiles registered. This amounts to about $350,000 a year for Spartanburg County. But up until now the county has used all of the money, with municipalities receiving none of it.

Municipal officials for many years have criticized the plan because none of the money went to towns. A big portion of the gasoline is bought in municipalities.

Now the lawmakers have agreed to let the cities and towns share in the revenue on the basis of automobile registration.

The county will still retain the biggest share. Payments on all county bond issues, including future ones, will be met before money is divided. Present bond debts will take about $180,000 of the annual revenue, Rep. Thomas A. Evins said. The remaining $170,000 will be divided among the county and the municipalities. The cities and towns should have been getting a share all along.