S.C. Marine Association honors legislator
CHARLESTON, S.C. – The South Carolina Marine Association’s first “I Boat I Vote” Award was recently presented to Rep. Harry B. “Chip” Limehouse III for his work on behalf of the recreational boating industry in the state.
“Rep. Limehouse really went to bat for the recreational marine industry in the last legislative session,” said Milt Hazel, SCMA president. “He sponsored a bill that would have capped the ad valorem taxation on boats and reduced the percentage charged to that of real property rather than personal property and worked with us to get it passed by the House.”
South Carolina’s property taxes on boats are the highest on the East Coast – 5 times greater than in North Carolina and 2.5 times greater than in Georgia. Since boats are mobile, the state is losing goods, services and jobs to other states, SCMA said.
“States that have reduced or eliminated boat property taxes have seen significant growth in the marine sectors of their economies,” said Deven Hull, owner of The Hull Company and SCMA member. “A cap and reduction on the total property tax paid by a boat owner will not only increase the profitability and long term strength of small companies, and eventually government revenues, but it will grow South Carolina’s share of the marine industry in the United States.
“We in the recreational marine industry are grateful to Rep. Limehouse for his support.”
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