Penny for Progress community meetings to be held in every Sumter County district

When the Capital Projects Sales Tax Referendum, also known as the Penny for Progress or Penny Tax, was on the ballot in 2022, there was confusion surrounding the projects and ballot question itself, and voters narrowly voted it down for the first time in three rounds.
To combat this reoccurring in the 2024 election, there will be ample opportunity for community members to learn about the tax and what it entails through 18 meetings held at public community centers throughout Sumter County.
Sumter EDGE (Economic Development Growth Engine) will be holding the meetings about the Penny for Progress Initiative in the beginning of October. With the Penny referendum being on the ballot this November, these meetings will serve as ways for the community to better understand what the Penny for Progress Initiative is and make informed decisions when voting.
“As you know, we have the Capital Projects Sales Tax coming up, and one of the things that we wanted to do is notify our constituents of basically what to know before you vote,” City of Sumter Communications and Tourism Director Shelley Kile said.
The first meeting took place Tuesday, Oct. 1, at the North Hope Center, but there are still plenty of opportunities to go to a meeting near you. These meetings are free and open to the public.

The Penny for Progress meetings will take place on the following dates and times:
- Thursday, Oct. 3, at 6 p.m. at the South Hope Center
- Monday, Oct. 7, at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at Delaine Community Center, Eastern Community Center and Rafting Creek Community Center
- Tuesday, Oct. 8, at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Catchall-Shaw Community Center, Ebenezer Community Center, Cherryvale Community Center and Shiloh Community Center
- Thursday Oct. 10, at 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. at the Salterstown Community Center
- Thursday, Oct. 10, at the Birnie Hope Center

Below are the addresses for each Community and Hope Center:
- South Hope Center: 1125 S. Lafayette Drive
- Delaine Community Center: 5400 Cane Savannah Road
- Eastern Community Center: 3675 E. Brewington Road
- Rafting Creek Community Center: 4050 S.C. 261 North
- Catchall-Shaw Community Center: 2680 Peach Orchard Road
- Ebenezer Community Center: 4580 Queen Chapel Road
- Cherryvale Community Center: 4343 Confederate Road
- Shiloh Community Center: 475 Puddin Swamp Road
- Salterstown Community Center: 800 Salterstown Road
- Birnie Hope Center: 210 S. Purdy St.

For anyone unable to make it to the meetings or anyone who wants to be informed prior to a meeting, a slideshow presentation with facts and information about the Penny for Progress Initiative is available online at www.pennyforprogress.com.
According to Kile, the meetings will cover general information about where the money would be spent, where it would come from and how other matching state and federal funds would be leveraged.
“We understand that the Penny doesn’t pay for everything, but we do use those funds,” Kile said.