COLUMBIA, S.C. — After an 8 to 2 vote in Richland County Council, FN America, one of the largest gun makers in the U.S., was approved for a tax break on an $18 million expansion.
This comes a week after the council initially rejected tax incentives by a 5-5 vote, with some council members citing their moral objections to expanding the production of firearms. However, after Tuesday's latest vote, the company has been given the green light.
According to the company, the expansion "will add more than 40,000 square feet of manufacturing capacity and office space as well as create a design center of excellence."
FN also said the expansion will create an estimated 102 additional jobs and cites an increase in demand for the new development.
It has some in the county excited including David Taylor, who runs a pawn and gun store in Lower Richland where he's sold multiple varieties of FN’s firearms.
"More jobs, more revenue for South Carolina, and more money spent in communities," he said. "So it's a win-win for South Carolina."
However, some in the Richland County community are worried more gun production might make gun violence an even more prevalent issue in our area. Mark Talbert was disappointed by the vote.
"We don't want our citizens' taxpayer dollars to go to manufacturing more guns," he said. "All they want to do is produce guns, sell them and we're left to carry the damage in our communities."
The vote did come as a surprise for some, as councilmembers originally voted against the tax breaks in an April 18 county council meeting. This announcement also comes on the heels of a weekend shooting at Meadowlake Park just outside of Columbia that hospitalized 11 young people. District three Councilwoman Yvonne McBride cited the increase of violence in the county as she voiced her disappointment.
"The question is, do you want tax incentives to be used to sell guns commercially?" she asked. "When you use the guns that we've seen being used, killing thousands all over the united states, those weren't accidents."
The Meadowlake shooting over the weekend took place in district seven which Councilwoman Gretchen Barron represents. She voted in favor of the expansion.
"This is about business, this is not necessarily about 11 children getting shot over the weekend," she said. "This is about doing right, expanding services, expanding businesses, expanding opportunities, and getting more people employed."
Richland County's next regular meeting is May 16.