The state spent nothing in Lexington County in the gas tax hike’s first year.

The county was one of 20 counties the SC Department of Transportation overlooked, new records show.

Overall, only about $7 million, or 2.2%, of $312.6 million in total revenues collected from July 1, 2017, through June 30, 2018 went to “external” projects, according to agency records.

The most-recent online records show that 20 counties, including larger counties such as Lexington, Beaufort and Spartanburg had no expenditures.

DOT paid road contractors in 16 counties – including Saluda County where DOT chief Christy Hall lives – about $6.6 million although it’s unclear from online records how much was paving.

Asked by The Nerve online newsletter whether she had any involvement with selecting the project in her home county, Hall in an email response said, “No, I did not influence the selection of this project.”

Records show that about $300,000 was spent on S.C. 121 in Saluda County under the “non-NHS (National Highway System) Primary Pavement Program.” Asked why work done in her home county was deemed a priority, Hall said DOT selects projects “through an analytical, not a political process.”

Hall said nearly $443 million in gas tax money could be used for earlier-approved interstate-widening projects. These include a $34.3 million “interstate upgrade” on I-20 in Lexington County.

About $285,000 was spent for architectural or engineering work in 12 counties, mainly for unspecified “safety improvements.”

In Richland County, one of the state’s largest counties, $635 was spent for “printing binding advertising.”

State lawmakers last year raised the gas tax 12¢ a gallon over 6 years,the cap on vehicle sales taxes to $500, increased vehicle registration fees $16 and imposed new “road use” fees on hybrid-fuel and electric vehicles.

Lawmakers promised the money would be used to fix the state’s pothole-riddled roads and deteriorating bridges.

DOT has said 80% of the state’s 42,000 miles of roads need resurfacing or rebuilding, and that 465 of 750 structurally deficient bridges need replacing.

Florence County – home of Senate president pro tempo-re Hugh Leatherman, and a member of the bank’s board, received more payments in 5 years than any other public agency or private company.

Leatherman bragged at a 2014 press conference about $488 million – $340 million from the bank and $148 million from a county penny sales tax increase – for 6 road projects in his county.