Transportation
Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
- TSPLOST
Election Day is July 31, 2012, July 9 - Early Voting Starts, July 21 - Saturday
Vote
Background
Counties
receive funding for local road improvement projects from a Local Assistance
Road Program Funds (LARP) now called Local Main Improvement Grants (LMIG). The budget available for those grants is less
because it comes from the gas tax. The gas tax is less because cars are more
efficient and people are driving less. Also, the D.O.T. needs to retire some
long term debt as 33% of their budget goes to pay interest on bond debt.
The
GA Chamber is spearheading the promotion and passage of TSPLOST. They believe safer
roads, better roads and better connected roads will attract new industry. Also,
they believe it will give local governments more control of their
transportation projects. Their campaign
is called Connect Georgia www.connectgeorgiamountains.com.
Our Regional Director is Tim Davis at 404-394-5548 or tdavis@connectgeorgia2012.com.
Structure
- A one cent sales tax will be in
effect for 10 years and will fund all modes of transportation from 2013 to
2023.
- There are 12 regional tax
districts. The GA Mountains region includes 13 counties: Banks, Dawson,
Forsyth, Franklin, Hall, Habersham, Hart, Lumpkin, Rabun, Stephens, Towns,
Union, White.
- Over the 10 years, the tax will
provide Georgia $19B, our region will gain $1.2B for local projects,
Stephens County will gain $46.8M. 75% will go to regional projects and 25%
will go to the individual counties for local discretionary projects. The
25% is divided among the counties using a formula of population and road
miles. This discretionary amount is expected to be more than what many
counties could raise on their own.
Local Match for DOT State
Grant Funding (LMIG)
- Regions that win voter approval
will receive a 90/10 match.
- Regions that place a referendum
on the ballot but fail to win approval will get a 70/30 match.
Stephens County
Projects
- The projects for each region
were determined last October by Regional Round Tables (including our then Mayor
Janice English and County Chairman JB Hudgins).
- A citizen’s accountability
committee will ensure projects are completed on time and within budget.
2 Projects:
SR 17 Widening from 2 to 4 Lanes from Scott Road (Livestock
Rd. ) north past the Veteran’s Parkway (Toccoa By-Pass) to Memorial Drive.
·
3.2
miles
·
Scheduled
in Band 2 from 2016 - 2019
·
Cost
is $24 million
·
Transportation
Investment Act (TIA) contribution is $5 million
·
Federal
Funding is $19 million
·
(Phase
1 will not depend on TSPLOST. It starts September 2012 and expands SR 17 from
Franklin County to Scott Road through the Hayestone Brady Industrial Park.
365 Two Lane Extension from Wal-Mart to the South
Carolina US123 Bridge.
·
5.3
miles
·
Scheduled
in Band 2 from 2016 – 2019
·
Cost
is $62 million
·
Transportation
Investment Act (TIA) contribution is $25 million
·
Federal
Funding is $36.7 million
Key Points
·
Georgia
is the 3rd fastest growing state and 49th on
transportation spending per capita.
·
Hall
County is more than 200% larger than Stephens County and its population is
nearly 700% greater. Hall and Forsyth Chambers have organized to pass TSPLOST
and combined, due to their size, will decide for the region, i.e. if 70% vote
yes, it will pass.
·
There
are over 450 people per square mile in Hall vs. less than 150 per square mile
in Stephens County. Hall County’s transportation needs are greater than
Stephens yet each citizen will receive only 20% more funding for improvements
than each Stephens County resident. Stephens is considered a “receiver” county.
Some counties are donor counties.
·
Our
sales tax will go from 7% to 8%. Anderson and Oconee are at 6%.
·
If
passed, TSPLOST will start January 2013.
·
SPLOST
VI takes effect July 2014.
The T-SC Chamber is the community’s source for
information. The Chamber is educating not advocating for TSPLOST. Please call us at 706-886-2132 with your
questions.
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