A proposed penny sales tax that would fund millions in road improvements in Lexington County is back on track.

County Council gave unanimous approval on a June 7 first reading to a revised plan after rejecting an earlier proposal that council members said went too far beyond road improvements.

In an interview after the meeting, Council Chair Scott Whetstone told the Chronicle that the Lexington County Capital Project Sales Commission, which formulated the original plan, did exactly what the council requested after the May 24 rejection.

The revised list includes more than 120 projects, limited strictly to road improvements, set to be paid for with an estimated $536 million the tax would generate across eight years if it gets council’s final approval and is subsequently approved by voters in November.

“There are some road drainage projects but that is considered a part of road improvements.” Whetstone said.

Some of the projects removed from the list included wastewater collection improvements for the Avenues and Broadacres areas of Cayce, improvements to the Cayce Riverwalk and a sidewalk connecting Lexington Avenue in Chapin to Crooked Creek Park.

Whetstone said Lexington County hasn’t been raising taxes in recent years, but the need for road improvements required the penny sales tax.

“It was the only way we could do it,” he said.

 Asked if he thought voters would approve it, Whestone gave no prediction.

 “I’ll vote for it,” he said.

A similar proposal introduced in 2014 was rejected by voters.

Council’s decision to approve the plan clears the way for a ballot proposal in November. The council action was a first-reading vote, so the proposal still must reach final reading, but the council appears to be completely supportive of the revised measure

One of the largest projects will be the widening and repaving of Longs Pond Road in Lexington County, which will cost an estimated $64 million. Also listed in the plan are improvements on Pisgah Church Road, Charter Oak Road, St. Peters Road and bridges.