Are Henry Countians ready to pay eight cents in sales tax on every dollar they spend?

  That question might be on the ballot this November. The Henry County Board of Commissioners voted at a special workshop meeting June 9 to approve a resolution to move forward with a transportation tax, or TSPLOST, and to make board chair June Wood the liaison with the four cities on the issue.

  If approved, a TSPLOST would be a full penny on the dollar if there is an intergovernmental agreement in place with the cities. If not, the maximum rate would be 0.75 cents. Either amount would be on top of the one-cent SPLOST already in place for county government and an identical amount for the school district.

  This topic has been tossed around by various commissioners the past few years. A series of regional TSPLOST districts were formed across the state for a 2012 referendum, but every one was rejected by voters.

  Toussaint Kirk, the county’s planning and economic development director, pointed out in his presentation at the meeting several governments and municipalities which he said were successfully utilizing a TSPLOST. He informed the commissioners that, in addition to being approved through a voter referendum, such a tax cannot exceed five years and it must see at least 30 percent of its revenue spent on projects consistent with the statewide Strategic Transportation Plan.

  Funds may be used for transportation purposes including acquisition of right-of-way and construction of roads, streets, bridges and bicycle paths, as well as many other transportation initiatives and projects, according to officials.

   Based on Henry County’s current SPLOST V revenue projections, Kirk said that a TSPLOST of up to one percent has the potential to raise $204 million over a five-year period. A single county TSPLOST of up to .75 percent is estimated to potentially raise $155 million over that same time.

   The next steps include staff developing a transportation project list and county management working with the cities of Hampton, Locust Grove, McDonough, and Stockbridge to develop intergovernmental agreements. Commissioners discussed various timelines and settled on the November 3 ballot to present the referendum to voters.

  In other transportation news, county officials announced that they will host a pre-acquisition meeting along with Georgia Department of Transportation representatives concerning the proposed widening of Rock Quarry Road. That meeting is scheduled for Tuesday, June 30, 4-8 p.m. in Conference Room B of the county administration building, 140 Henry Parkway in McDonough.

   According to a statement, the purpose of the meeting is to “help familiarize property owners and other individuals that may have an interest in the properties being required for the proposed project. Right-of-way plans will be available for review and attendees will have the opportunity to speak with county staff and GDOT representatives.”