Area leaders discuss potential regional T-SPLOST projects
Widening S.R. 72 west of Comer isn’t just important for Madison County, but for the entire region, according to county commission chairman Anthony Dove.
“Our region because it connects Elbert County through Madison County to Clarke County, which could be even more important in the future, if (S.R.) 17 happens to be widened” Dove said.
And widening S.R. 72 — from within the Comer city limits to the intersection of S.R. 172 — may open the doors for economic development projects in Madison County, according to Dove.
“It’s our only four-lane (road),” he said. “We’re not blessed with an interstate, like everyone is. This is really our only opportunity to have some type of industry because of the railroad running along (S.R. 72) there.”
The project is one of two in Madison County on a list of regional transit projects that may be funded with a new one-cent transportation sales tax.
If approved by voters in 2012, the widening of S.R. 72 may begin in 2013-2015, at an estimated $34.4 million in transportation sales tax revenue.
The Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (T-SPLOST) would provide money to local regions for transit projects over a 10-year period. Sales tax money earned in each of the state’s 12 regional commission boundaries would stay in that district to fund projects.
The Northeast Georgia region is expected to receive a total of $987 million over a 10-year period in T-SPLOST revenue. Of that, $740 million is designated on a specified list of major transit projects. The remaining 25 percent — or $246.7 million — will be given to each county and city in the region to use as they wish for transportation needs.
For the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission, which includes Madison County, a potential list of 133 projects has been narrowed to 69 proposals by an executive committee comprised of local officials.
A larger regional roundtable group met on Wednesday, Aug. 10, in Watkinsville to discuss the executive committee’s proposals before the projects are available at public meetings in September.
After those public meetings, the roundtable group will meet again to finalize its project list on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m., at the Regional Commission office in Athens.
The roundtable has to approve its transportation investment list by Oct. 15, or pay a higher percentage of its share of matching state grants. If a region’s voters reject the T-SPLOST in 2012, it can be placed on the ballot again in two years.
Regional roundtable and Jackson County commission chairman Hunter Bicknell has said there is no “plan B” to fund transit projects, if voters reject the T-SPLOST referendum.
At last week’s roundtable meeting, representatives from each county pitched their transit projects before the group approved the tentative list.
If approved by voters, Madison County would get two projects from the T-SPLOST — the widening of S.R. 72 west of Comer and improvements at the intersection of S.R. 8 and S.R. 98 in Danielsville, at an estimated $875,000.
Dove said the S.R. 98 project in downtown Danielsville has been a long-discussed proposal with implications for economic development.
“I think it will help us, economically, right there in that area, because it does come through our county seat,” he said.
Madison County also stands to get a significant boost in sales tax revenue, if the T-SPLOST passes.
The county’s share of its sales tax money that doesn’t have to be earmarked now for specific transportation projects stands at an estimated $1.5 million. Of that, $1.4 million would go to unincorporated areas of Madison County with its cities collecting the remaining portion.
A public meeting on the proposed T-SPLOST projects in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties, will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m., at the Oconee County Civic Center, Watkinsville.
MOVING 2012 ELECTION DATE?
As those at a transportation regional roundtable meeting were discussing their preferences for when to hold the 2012 referendum, Gov. Nathan Deal said Wednesday, Aug. 10, that he wants to move it from July to November.
The General Assembly is expected to discuss the proposal during its special session, which started Aug. 15.
Athens-Clarke County representatives initially asked the roundtable group to consider supporting a shift of the T-SPLOST vote from July to November 2012.
If the vote were taken during November’s general election, there would be more people in town to cast their ballot than during July’s primary elections, according one Athens-Clarke County representative.
Typically, referendums have a better chance at passing when voter turnout is lower for primaries or special elections.
Roundtable chairman and Jackson County commission chairman Hunter Bicknell also said some officials have expressed concerns about advocating for the new tax during an election year. A number of officials serving on the roundtable, including Bicknell, said their elected positions will be on the ballot in 2012.
But State Rep. Tom McCall (R-Elberton) said predicting voter sentiment for the 2012 general election — which will also include races for president, Congress and state legislators on the ballot — may be tough to gauge.
“If we move it to November, is the economy going to be better in November, or is everybody going to be mad with everything when they go vote in November and just vote ‘no’ on everything?,” he said. “That’s the kind of stuff that you’ve got to think of.”
Barrow County commission chairman Danny Yearwood said he believed that the lower voter turnout during the July primaries would favor the proposal.
“If we do the proper thing in promoting this thing, and we believe it’s the right thing to do, the people that is going to support this is going to go vote for it,” he said. “If they don’t want to support it, they ain’t going to show up, anyway.”
Kathy Morgan, commission chairperson of Newton County, said it won’t matter when the vote is held, but how the public is educated about the proposals. She also addressed concerns about what the local impact may be if neighboring regional districts in metro Atlanta don’t pass the T-SPLOST.
Bicknell said the T-SPLOST can be promoted as a positive change that will minimize millage rates, while providing needed infrastructure in communities. He also said the projects will be key for expanding economic development opportunities.
“I think if you have the right project list and you sell what you have got and help people understand the true benefits on every level, that it’s not necessarily putting you in the position that you are a pro-tax person,” he said. “You’re just shifting tax to a fair tax, as opposed to a property-based tax.”
Oconee County commission chairman Melvin Davis said he was, in part, concerned that if the state legislature changed the referendum date from July to November 2012, the public may believe they are being manipulated.
Ultimately, the roundtable group decided that it prefers the July 2012 referendum date, as opposed to November. That may not matter, though, if the General Assembly has a differing opinion on the matter during its special session.
And widening S.R. 72 — from within the Comer city limits to the intersection of S.R. 172 — may open the doors for economic development projects in Madison County, according to Dove.
“It’s our only four-lane (road),” he said. “We’re not blessed with an interstate, like everyone is. This is really our only opportunity to have some type of industry because of the railroad running along (S.R. 72) there.”
The project is one of two in Madison County on a list of regional transit projects that may be funded with a new one-cent transportation sales tax.
If approved by voters in 2012, the widening of S.R. 72 may begin in 2013-2015, at an estimated $34.4 million in transportation sales tax revenue.
The Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (T-SPLOST) would provide money to local regions for transit projects over a 10-year period. Sales tax money earned in each of the state’s 12 regional commission boundaries would stay in that district to fund projects.
The Northeast Georgia region is expected to receive a total of $987 million over a 10-year period in T-SPLOST revenue. Of that, $740 million is designated on a specified list of major transit projects. The remaining 25 percent — or $246.7 million — will be given to each county and city in the region to use as they wish for transportation needs.
For the Northeast Georgia Regional Commission, which includes Madison County, a potential list of 133 projects has been narrowed to 69 proposals by an executive committee comprised of local officials.
A larger regional roundtable group met on Wednesday, Aug. 10, in Watkinsville to discuss the executive committee’s proposals before the projects are available at public meetings in September.
After those public meetings, the roundtable group will meet again to finalize its project list on Thursday, Oct. 6, at 10 a.m., at the Regional Commission office in Athens.
The roundtable has to approve its transportation investment list by Oct. 15, or pay a higher percentage of its share of matching state grants. If a region’s voters reject the T-SPLOST in 2012, it can be placed on the ballot again in two years.
Regional roundtable and Jackson County commission chairman Hunter Bicknell has said there is no “plan B” to fund transit projects, if voters reject the T-SPLOST referendum.
At last week’s roundtable meeting, representatives from each county pitched their transit projects before the group approved the tentative list.
If approved by voters, Madison County would get two projects from the T-SPLOST — the widening of S.R. 72 west of Comer and improvements at the intersection of S.R. 8 and S.R. 98 in Danielsville, at an estimated $875,000.
Dove said the S.R. 98 project in downtown Danielsville has been a long-discussed proposal with implications for economic development.
“I think it will help us, economically, right there in that area, because it does come through our county seat,” he said.
Madison County also stands to get a significant boost in sales tax revenue, if the T-SPLOST passes.
The county’s share of its sales tax money that doesn’t have to be earmarked now for specific transportation projects stands at an estimated $1.5 million. Of that, $1.4 million would go to unincorporated areas of Madison County with its cities collecting the remaining portion.
A public meeting on the proposed T-SPLOST projects in Barrow, Clarke, Jackson and Oconee counties, will be held on Thursday, Sept. 8, at 6 p.m., at the Oconee County Civic Center, Watkinsville.
MOVING 2012 ELECTION DATE?
As those at a transportation regional roundtable meeting were discussing their preferences for when to hold the 2012 referendum, Gov. Nathan Deal said Wednesday, Aug. 10, that he wants to move it from July to November.
The General Assembly is expected to discuss the proposal during its special session, which started Aug. 15.
Athens-Clarke County representatives initially asked the roundtable group to consider supporting a shift of the T-SPLOST vote from July to November 2012.
If the vote were taken during November’s general election, there would be more people in town to cast their ballot than during July’s primary elections, according one Athens-Clarke County representative.
Typically, referendums have a better chance at passing when voter turnout is lower for primaries or special elections.
Roundtable chairman and Jackson County commission chairman Hunter Bicknell also said some officials have expressed concerns about advocating for the new tax during an election year. A number of officials serving on the roundtable, including Bicknell, said their elected positions will be on the ballot in 2012.
But State Rep. Tom McCall (R-Elberton) said predicting voter sentiment for the 2012 general election — which will also include races for president, Congress and state legislators on the ballot — may be tough to gauge.
“If we move it to November, is the economy going to be better in November, or is everybody going to be mad with everything when they go vote in November and just vote ‘no’ on everything?,” he said. “That’s the kind of stuff that you’ve got to think of.”
Barrow County commission chairman Danny Yearwood said he believed that the lower voter turnout during the July primaries would favor the proposal.
“If we do the proper thing in promoting this thing, and we believe it’s the right thing to do, the people that is going to support this is going to go vote for it,” he said. “If they don’t want to support it, they ain’t going to show up, anyway.”
Kathy Morgan, commission chairperson of Newton County, said it won’t matter when the vote is held, but how the public is educated about the proposals. She also addressed concerns about what the local impact may be if neighboring regional districts in metro Atlanta don’t pass the T-SPLOST.
Bicknell said the T-SPLOST can be promoted as a positive change that will minimize millage rates, while providing needed infrastructure in communities. He also said the projects will be key for expanding economic development opportunities.
“I think if you have the right project list and you sell what you have got and help people understand the true benefits on every level, that it’s not necessarily putting you in the position that you are a pro-tax person,” he said. “You’re just shifting tax to a fair tax, as opposed to a property-based tax.”
Oconee County commission chairman Melvin Davis said he was, in part, concerned that if the state legislature changed the referendum date from July to November 2012, the public may believe they are being manipulated.
Ultimately, the roundtable group decided that it prefers the July 2012 referendum date, as opposed to November. That may not matter, though, if the General Assembly has a differing opinion on the matter during its special session.
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