(A) Upon receipt of the ordinance, the county election commission shall conduct a referendum on the question of imposing the sales and use tax. A referendum for this purpose must be held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November in any year. Two weeks before the referendum, the election commission shall publish in a newspaper of general circulation the question that is to appear on the ballot. This notice is in lieu of any other notice otherwise required by law.

(B) The referendum question to be on the ballot must read substantially as follows:

Terms Used In South Carolina Code 4-10-740

  • Fiscal year: The fiscal year is the accounting period for the government. For the federal government, this begins on October 1 and ends on September 30. The fiscal year is designated by the calendar year in which it ends; for example, fiscal year 2006 begins on October 1, 2005 and ends on September 30, 2006.
  • Political subdivision: means a county, or a school district located wholly or partly within a county area, or both the county and a school district so located. See South Carolina Code 4-10-720
  • Property tax: means all property tax millage imposed for operating purposes by a political subdivision. See South Carolina Code 4-10-720
  • Property tax liability: means the amount of tax due as a result of the imposition of property tax. See South Carolina Code 4-10-720

"Must a (rate) sales and use tax be levied in _______ County for the purpose of allowing a credit for all classes of property against the property tax liability for [affected political subdivision(s)] operations?

Yes []

No []"

(C) All qualified electors desiring to vote in favor of imposing the tax shall vote "Yes" and all qualified electors opposed to imposing the tax shall vote "No". If a majority of the votes cast are in favor of imposing the tax, the tax is imposed as provided in this article, and beginning after the fiscal year in which the referendum is held, all classes of property in the county shall receive a credit against the property tax liability of the political subdivision. The election commission shall conduct the referendum under the election laws of this State, mutatis mutandis, and shall certify the results no later than December thirty-first to the county governing body and to the Department of Revenue. The credit must be calculated in the manner provided pursuant to § 4-10-40(B), mutatis mutandis.

(D) Upon receipt of the returns of the referendum, the county council, by resolution, shall declare the results thereof. The results of the referendum may not be questioned except by a suit or proceeding instituted within thirty days from the date the resolution is adopted.

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