The Henry County Board of Commissioners voted June 18 to approve its project list for the proposed fifth installment of the county’s special-purpose local-option sales tax, which will be approved or denied by voters in November. The vote by the commissioners was unanimous.
The list is based on estimated collections of $245 million over a six-year period beginning next April 1. Of that, the county would utilize 75 percent while the four cities split the remaining 25 percent.
The next step in the process is a scheduled joint meeting with the cities June 26 in preparation for the necessary intergovernmental agreement. Each of the cities has recently discussed potential projects in council meetings. After the joint meeting, the commissioners will consider how they want to handle the bonding of the money from the tax.
Countywide capital projects include a jail pod addition and a fleet replacement program along with a number of other public safety facilities listed as follows: Ola police precinct/Fire Station 17; Fairview police precinct/Fire Station 6 rebuild; District 2 fire station – Station 5 rebuild; District 2 police station; and District 4 police station/Fire Station 18. With $4 million budgeted for program management, the countywide project total is pegged at $51.2 million.
Each of the five commission districts will split the remaining money, which would be $26,510,000 apiece based on the revenue projections being met. That money is mostly for dozens of transportation projects – intersection improvements, road widening, dirt road pavings and others – as well as some park upgrades.
SPLOST transportation director Roque Romero, who presented the list to the board, stated that the initial $190 million revenue projection for the current SPLOST, which ends March 31 after six years, is now expected to be met or slightly exceeded.
Contrast that with the first county SPLOST, which was collected from 1997 to 2001 and brought in a total of $72.3 million. After a subsequent referendum failed, a second SPLOST was later approved and collections resumed in April of 2003, bringing in $141.5 million over a five-year period during the county’s previous wave of explosive growth. The third SPLOST, the first which included an intergovernmental agreement and a 75-25 split with the cities, collected $173.2 million over six year during an extreme economic downturn.
If the votes approve SPLOST V, as it is commonly known, it will not be reflected in consumers’ sales receipts as the total sales tax rate in the county will remain at 7 percent.
Commissioner Johnny Wilson noted that the District II page of the list contained no specific projects at all, noting only under each category that the funds would go toward “district specific” projects. Commissioner Dee Clemmons replied that she did that on purpose because she is “making provisions for the future” to use the money for the projects that are most needed in the years to come.
By law a project list must be in place and included on the referendum. Clemmons said listing the specific financial allocations for each category, without itemizing each project, is legal. Wilson noted that it gives the appearance of a “slush fund” and it not a good look as far as transparency with citizens. All five district lists had the same designation with regard to sidewalks and resurfacing, but Clemmons’ list was the only one with generalized amounts in every category.
Commissioner Gary Barham said he wanted to move $100,000 from one of his project and apply to the library system in hopes of gaining $900,000 through a 90-10 grant. A few other changes were made to wording in some categories to give more flexibility in allocating money.
