Administrators with Gainesville and Hall County Tuesday provided more details surrounding a new local option sales tax that may be on the horizon.
Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey and Hall County Administrator Zach Propes provided additional information on a new transportation special purpose local option sales tax (TSPLOST) initiative that might be on the ballot this November. This follows the official announcement of the TSPLOST at the Greater Hall Chamber of Commerce Transportation Forum on April 12.
Both the county and city administration is planning to host a public information meeting on April 25 at 12 p.m. at the Hall County Government Center on the fourth floor. Officials hope this will give the public an opportunity to learn more about the tax and what it will be used for, as well as have any outstanding questions answered.
In order for the newest TSPLOST to see daylight on a voter’s ballot, it must undergo several checks. As this tax would impact Hall County and all the cities therein, the local city governments all need to be in support of the initiative.
Lackey noted while every city seems pleased with this new tax initiative, there were several compromises made along the way.
The TSPLOST must then work its way through the Hall County Board of Commissioners and the Election Board before it is able to be voted on by the general public.
This tax initiative plans to be a five-year collection program, pulling in $325 million in total. 80 percent of that number, or $260 million, will be put towards “major projects”. The remaining 20 percent will be allocated to other jurisdictions in the county through intergovernmental agreements, according to Lackey.
Some of the improvements included for the county under the “major projects” banner include initiating phase two of the Spout Springs Road project and widening McEver Road. For the City of Gainesville, there are plans to improve Park Hill Drive from Riverside Drive north to Enota Drive. Lackey also expressed a desire to improve pedestrian connectivity around Riverside Drive.
Other roads named for possible section improvements include Jesse Jewell Parkway, Queen City Parkway and Limestone Parkway. The primary goal with the adjustments is to relieve current pressure on the “main arteries” running through Gainesville, such as Jesse Jewell Parkway, during rush hour times.
“The county has gone through so much growth, there's a definite and specific need,” Propes said. “I think you're seeing a lot of pinch points throughout the county … and the city's trying to figure out how to address those issues. I mean we're trying to make sure that the quality of life component is maintained at a high level for our citizenry. So that really is what drives the major projects, would be the quality of life where the growth is.”
Lackey believes since this SPLOST directly impacts the residents of Hall County, it will be easier to create interest and support for the initiative.
“I think a lot of citizens might be a little skeptical that, ‘What are you really using that for, you just want more money,’ we're telling them there's a need and I think that some of the education is going to show that there's a lot of dollars needed and this is the way to get that done,” Lackey said.
Both Lackey and Propes noted that oftentimes, it’s easier to stretch city and county dollars with SPLOST funds since some state and federal programs will match that funding for certain projects. This financial leverage allows city and county funds to accomplish more since they “have some skin in the game”, as Lackey put it.
“So the principle might be that GDOT is willing, if they've got a project, maybe the county and GDOT would partner and you turn a $20 million figure for Hall County becomes a $40 million project, maybe because you're matching,” Propes said.
The current goal is to have the SPLOST initiative on the ballot this November, according to officials.
