PTC Council wants a new county-wide tax on Nov. ballot

0
36

Committee will recommend city’s spending priorities

The Peachtree City Council continues to support the idea of a countywide SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) to be included on the November ballot to address infrastructure needs both in the city and across Fayette County.

To that end, City Manager Jon Rorie at the Feb. 4 council meeting recommended the formation of a small group of council members and a handful of citizens recommended by council to assess the city’s infrastructure needs and make a recommendation in the event a SPLOST initiative is placed on the ballot for a November vote. The council agreed with the recommendation by consensus.

The initial idea proposed by Rorie would have one or two council members and up to five citizens included in the group.

Rorie said his own assessment showed $82 million in infrastructure needs citywide, adding that, if passed, a five-year SPLOST would likely generate approximately $30 million.

“We won’t get everything we need,” said Rorie of the SPLOST revenue.

Consequently, said Rorie, he wanted the SPLOST group to prioritize the city’s needs and narrow the focus.

Rorie suggested that the group could meet on a regular basis to develop the prioritized infrastructure list. Included in the meetings will be in-person site visits for group members to get a firsthand look at what the project would entail, Rorie said.

Rorie noted that the meetings will be open to the public.