Lee County Government

10/21/2026

10/20/2026

LYNCHBURG COMMUNITY MEETING HIGHLIGHTS PUBLIC SAFETY CAPITAL NEEDS
Lee County Public Safety officials, including representatives from the Sheriff’s Office, Fire Department and EMS, went over public safety equipment needs for their respective departments at a community meeting held in Lynchburg October 15th.
The presentations included demonstrations of the types of equipment utilized, how the equipment improves the safety of both the county personnel and the residents of our community, and an explanation of the timetable for replacing these various pieces of equipment. A significant majority of local capital projects sales tax funds collected go directly to EMS, fire, and Sheriff’s Office capital needs — ensuring modern equipment, expanded facilities, and improved training, while maintaining community safety and readiness.
These sales tax revenues replace or supplement property taxes and other fees, allowing counties to address urgent public safety needs without increasing the overall tax burden on residents. The penny tax is collected from local business transactions, sharing the cost of emergency services with both residents and visitors to our county.
In addition to the public safety presentations, Mayor Andre Laws addressed residents regarding several projects which have been funded previously with capital penny funding, as well as the plan to address additional water system needs with future funding if the penny is approved for renewal.
The tax does not apply to unprepared groceries, gasoline, or medication. It is dedicated solely to capital projects identified by the CPST Commission, not to routine operations or maintenance. Community leaders stressed that the CPST spreads the cost of major projects across all taxpayers and visitors, rather than placing the full burden on local property owners.

10/19/2026

What has the "Capital Penny" already done for public safety in Lee County?

10/16/2026

CAPITAL PROJECTS SALES TAX INFORMATION MEETING HELD AT CHAPPEL PARK OCT. 13

Bishopville and Lee County officials held a third community meeting Oct. 13 at Chappell Park to provide information and answer questions about the Capital Project Sales Tax (CPST), also called the “Capital Penny.” First approved by voters in 2012, the CPST is set to expire April 30, 2027. Voters will have the opportunity to vote on renewal of the penny tax on the Nov. 4, 2026, ballot.
At Tuesday’s community meeting, information was provided on the penny tax’s role in improving public safety, recreation, and quality of life. More than 80 percent of the funds collected through the penny tax have gone to support public safety—including purchasing fire trucks, ambulances, police cars and lifesaving equipment. EMS, fire and law enforcement personnel brought vehicles and equipment to show what their departments have been able to purchase, thanks to the Capital Penny.
Lee County Council Chairman Travis Windham addressed the group and made a point of the fact a substantial portion of the revenue collected from the “Capital Penny” comes from visitors traveling along the interstate. “I call the interstate business area the golden mile, because it is the source of a lot of the funding for the “Capital Penny”. This penny allows people visiting our community to help pay for vital needs, especially public safety equipment, which otherwise the citizens of this community would be solely responsible for funding through property taxes and Fees,” stated Windham.
Bishopville Mayor Luke Giddings said he is grateful for the community’s first responders; the equipment they have that helps save lives and what the penny sales tax makes possible. “About two years ago, I had to call 911 late one evening,” he said. “Within about three minutes, a newer ambulance arrived and the paramedics hooked me up to an EKG machine that was funded by the penny sales tax. They quickly got me to a hospital when I needed a little help. Sometimes you don’t fully these investments until you need them yourself.”
Bishopville Councilwoman Shirley Hill agreed, saying she called 911 when suffering from tightness in her chest and breathing problems. “EMS came to my home and used equipment that checked out my heart,” she said. “I was amazed to see all they could do with a machine that we couldn’t have purchased without the capital penny sales tax. It’s a much-needed piece of equipment and a true lifesaver for residents of Bishopville and Lee County.”
Councilwoman Gloria Lewis said it’s important that voters understand the importance of the penny tax. “It’s either the penny tax or your property tax,” she said. “Every citizen has to make that decision, but I’ll tell you that since I’ve been on City Council, the City has not had to come up with the funds by increasing taxes to purchase new police vehicles, thanks to that penny tax. It has been a blessing for our community.”
Lewis said everyone wants first responders to have the best equipment, especially when they are responding to a call involving you or your family. “Our first responders are truly the most important people in the City of Bishopville and Lee County,” she said. “The Capital Penny has enabled our EMS, sheriff, police and fire departments to operate more effectively and maintain a safer, more responsive emergency system all our residents.”
The tax does not apply to unprepared groceries, gasoline, or medication. It is dedicated solely to capital projects identified by the CPST Commission, not to routine operations or maintenance. Community leaders stressed that the CPST spreads the cost of major projects across all taxpayers and visitors, rather than placing the full burden on local property owners, noting that the tax has “had a bigger impact than almost anything else in this community in the last 15 years” in terms of public safety, recreation, and quality of life.

10/16/2026

COUNTY COUNCIL GIVES THIRD READING TO YMCA AGREEMENT WITH CITY AND RETIREE HEALTH INSURANCE CHANGES AT OCT. 13 MEETING
At their Oct. 13 meeting, members of Lee County Council gave third and final reading to an agreement with the City of Bishopville for operational support for the YMCA that will soon be open on Main Street. Ordinance 2026-20 establishes the details of an intergovernmental agreement between the City of Bishopville and Lee County to cover the County’s financial contribution to the project.
The YMCA of the Upper P*e Dee is the organization that will operate a community health and wellness center located at 238 N. Main St., home of the former Easy Living Furniture Store. County Administrator Alan Watkins said plans are for the YMCA to open by the end of this year. He said the County will provide financial assistance to the City for the operation of the YMCA and for reduction in membership fees for eligible County employees, with any remaining membership funds to be used for need-based scholarships.
The County, City and YMCA initially entered into a Memorandum of Understanding in October of 2023 when the effort was underway to convince the YMCA to locate a facility here in Lee County. “Because Lee County has a lot of challenging health outcomes, being a very rural community and not having a hospital—that was all instrumental in us receiving well over $1 million in state assistance to upfit the old Easy Living Furniture store building on Main Street,” Watkins said.
“The City owns the building and is leasing the building to the YMCA of the Upper P*e Dee, which is a board that controls several community YMCAs, including Hartsville and Chesterfield,” he said. “They will undertake the day-to-day operations of the facility.”
Because the original Memorandum of Understanding has expired, the City and the YMCA worked out a new agreement, Watkins said. “Instead of us being part of a three-way organization involving the City, County and the Y, we feel like it would be more beneficial to work through the City and let them administer the formal understanding with the Y,” Watkins explained.
The County will also contribute funding in the amount of $250,000 to the YMCA project over two years, including funding that will be used to offer County employees reduced membership costs if they want to join the YMCA. “We feel like that will be a good incentive to encourage our employees to join the Y and utilize their services,” he said.
The YMCA will use the property for administrative offices, community programs, health and wellness activities, youth and family services, and other community-serving purposes.
Council also gave third reading of an amendment to Ordinance 1-11 regarding retiree insurance for County employees. Watkins said the County will reopen the retirees’ health benefit plan and allow all current employees who meet the requirements for either a full or partial retiree benefit to be eligible to receive a benefit.
“All of the changes to the County’s retiree health benefit plan are a positive for both active employees and the retirees who are already on the plan and receiving a benefit,” Watkins said.
At the time the County revised the retiree health benefit plan in July of 2011, “the financial situation was such that closing the plan to new hires was necessary,” Watkins said. “Under the rules put in place in 2011, no new hires would accrue enough time working for the county for at least 14 years to be eligible for a partial benefit. At this point, some employees hired after the program was closed have been with the County for more than 14 years and the County is now in a place financially to reinstate this benefit.”
Language in the ordinance regarding the requirements under the State Retirement System to fully vest will be updated to reflect the changes put in place by the state in July of 2012. The County will be increasing the monthly benefit for Medicare Eligible Retirees with regards to both the full and partial benefit. The monthly payment for a full benefit will be raised from $300 to $400, and the monthly payment for a partial benefit will be raised from $150 to $200 per month.
“The number of retirees on the plan fluctuates over time, so the financial cost to the County will change as additional employees retire and as retirees earning a benefit pass away,” Watkins explained. “The reopening of the plan will simply allow for employees who meet the minimum requirement for years of service, under either the full or partial benefit, to continue receiving the benefit in the future, whereas if the plan were not reopened at some point, all of the County employees who receive the benefit would eventually pass away and the benefit would cease to be paid.”
The retiree health benefit is a reward for long-term service to the County, he said. “Current employees who provide the necessary years of service should receive what they have earned,” Watkins added. “This is a good day for our retirees and employees. This is a day we hoped would come when we would be financially able to reopen the plan and hopefully reward the hires who came onboard after we closed it and that is the case. The County is in a much better place financially.
The basic requirements for a full or partial benefit are as follows and apply to all County employees, including elected or appointed officials:
• Full Benefit- An employee must meet the S.C. Retirement System (SCRS) or Police Officers Retirement System (PORS) for fully vesting, be at least 55 years of age and have their final 20 years of service in the SCRS or PORS with Lee County;
• Partial Benefit - An employee must be at least 60 years of age, with the final 14 years of service under SCRS or 12.5 years under PORS being earned with Lee County.
In other business, Council:
• authorized the County Administrator to procure an engineering firm to design and bid the resurfacing of the County-owned portion of Cousar Street;
• heard committee reports and public comment, as well as the administrator’s report.

10/15/2026

How has the Capital Project Sales Tax impacted Public Safety in Lee County??