The date for Coweta County voters to have their say on extending the county 1-cent sales tax is fast approaching. The March 6 Presidential Preference Primary will also be the day when voters decide on the local six-year SPLOST extension that would raise up to $120 million for a variety of recreation, public safety, information technology and road improvement projects in the county’s municipalities and unincorporated areas.
If approved by voters, the funds raised would be distributed based essentially on the 2010 census, with the county receiving 67.89 percent, Newnan receiving 25.95 percent, Senoia receiving 2.6 percent, Grantville receiving 2.39 percent and Moreland at .31 percent, Sharpsburg at .27 percent, Palmetto at .24 percent, Turin at .22 percent and Haralson at .13 percent.
And if approved, the SPLOST would run for six years with a maximum collection ceiling of $120 million.
What exactly might a continuation of the 1-cent sales tax mean in terms of the amount of money raised? For Newnan in 2010, the city received $4.485 million based on its 25 percent share of SPLOST revenues. That would put countywide revenues for that year at approximately $17.9 million.
Additionally, a group of surveys conducted by The Citizen in 2011 showed that of the vehicles in the Sam’s Club parking lot at Fisher Crossings that could be identified by the county of registration, 61 percent of those were from counties other than Coweta.
A similar survey at Ashley Park showed that 41 percent of the vehicles came from a total of 25 counties other than Coweta.
Pertaining to the upcoming vote on March 6, a breakdown of the funds, based on maximum collections, would have Coweta County receiving $81.468 million, Newnan receiving $31.14 million, Senoia receiving $3.12 million, Grantville receiving $2.868 million, Palmetto at $422,000, Moreland at $506,000, Sharpsburg at $376,000, Turin at $310,000 and Haralson at $203,000.
The county’s project list included transportation and parks and recreation initiatives along with proposals by the sheriff’s office, fire department and emergency management. By far the largest bulk of sales tax revenues would be used for road, street and bridge projects.
Senoia’s list included $1.25 million for transportation improvement to roads, streets, bridges and sidewalks, $1.25 million for parks and recreation, $300,000 for public works, $200,000 for an early warning siren system and $120,000 for city hall improvements.
Newnan’s proposed projects included information technology, cultural needs, public safety, public works, parks and recreation and road, streets, bridges and sidewalks.
Sharpsburg’s project list showed needs that included road, streets and bridges, utilities and cultural, historic and recreational needs.
Projects for Palmetto included public safety, water and sewer and roads, streets and bridges.
Proposed projects for Moreland included the cemetery, roads, streets and bridges, parks and recreation, the Old Mill/Town Hall and museum and cultural needs.
Projects for Turin included public safety, water, stormwater, cable, wastewater, sidewalks and paths, streets, roads and bridges, parks and recreation and work at city hall.
And in Haralson the project list included parks and recreation needs.
The March 6 vote should not be confused with the 10-county Regional Transportation SPLOST that will go before voters in July.
