South Carolina’s tax policy should be fair, sustainable, and focused on easing burdens on working families while maintaining the revenue needed to fund strong schools, infrastructure, public safety, and essential services. I support targeted property tax relief for residents, and I believe economic development incentives for large corporations should come with clear, enforceable performance standards. Tax abatements should be tied to measurable commitments such as job creation and retention, investments in workforce training and human capital, wages above regional median levels, strong benefits coverage, and meaningful in-state hiring. If companies do not meet those benchmarks, incentives should be reduced, clawed back, or ended.
That balance is achieved through responsible budgeting and accountability. Public subsidies should deliver public value. When companies receiving tax incentives generate excess cash for executive compensation, stock buybacks, or shareholder dividends, I support mechanisms that return a portion of that value to the communities helping make that success possible through support for schools, local improvements, and workforce investment, including sharing in prosperity with frontline workers. Growth should help pay for growth, and tax policy should reward long-term community benefit, not simply private gain