Fayette County officials have some big transportation decisions to make in the next two weeks.
Now that the Board of Commissioners has approved a plan to put a six-year SPLOST on the November general election ballot, the next step is putting together a list of transportation projects to be addressed with the estimated $19.5 million in additional funds expected from an expanded special purpose local option sales tax. The former plan was for a four-year SPLOST.
Staff will present this list to the new Transportation Committee at its Aug. 2 meeting, after which it will need to be sanctioned by the Board of Commissioners at its next meeting Aug. 11.
County Manager Steve Rapson told the board that a joint meeting with the county’s municipalities should be called for Aug. 17 to move the new plan forward, with a final vote Sept. 22 by the commissioners to set the referendum.
The Aug. 17 meeting is necessary because changing the SPLOST plan from four years to six years requires a new intergovernmental agreement, which will utilize 2010 population numbers as the basis for determining how the money is distributed among the various municipalities.
The Board of Commissioners voted unanimously at its July 14 regular meeting to approve a six-year SPLOST without the previously discussed funding for a performing arts center. That $3,555,559 was put into the transportation portion of the plan, leaving intact the funding for the proposed Woolsey community center.
County officials said the additional $19.5 million, when combined with possible state and federal transportation money, could be leveraged into as much as $97 million.
Expected county funding from the original four-year SPLOST plan totalled $44,903,177 to be divided among stormwater projects, an E911 radio system, a fire station and a pumper. The Woolsey community center project would receive $223,000 from the county’s portion. That facility, to include a town hall and community museum as well as a possible visitor’s center, would be centered around the former Georgia Mercantile Building, a 100-year-old structure on Hwy. 92 that was donated to the town of Woolsey many years ago.
After Rapson briefed the board, Commissioner Steve Brown immediately moved to approve the six-year SPLOST plan without the performing arts center. Commissioner Randy Ognio seconded the motion.
Chairman Charles Oddo invited the mayors of the county’s cities, all but one of whom were in attendance, to address the board on the issue. Mayor Vanessa Fleisch of Peachtree City was the first, thanking the board for its action as she and her colleagues were prepared to lobby the commissioners for the six-year plan, but that would not be necessary. Fleisch spoke briefly about her city’s projects, a list of which was pared down over 15 meetings with considerable citizen oversight.
Mayor Eric Dial of Tyrone stated that his town was somewhat ambivalent about the SPLOST in general, being “in good shape” as far as necessary projects.
“We want to be good neighbors,” he said. “We know our municipal neighbors are in need and what is good for our neighbors is good for us when possible.”
Tyrone’s primary goal with the SPLOST is to pay off a low-interest loan to the state. Other plans include sewer expansion, several resurfacing and stormwater projects, public park enhancement and expansion as well as funding some of the 74 Gateway Coalition efforts.
Mayor Ed Johnson of Fayetteville noted that “critical infrastructure and road work” is needed in his city and the six-year SPLOST will help get it done. City officials will take advantage of a bond issue immediately after passage of the referendum to get that work started as quickly as possible, Johnson said.
Mayor Daniel Langford of Brooks noted the need for repairs to a water system installed in 1965 and the probable replacement at some time in the future. Six dirt road paving projects are on the Brooks list but only the first two or three will likely be addressed with the expected revenue.
Woolsey Mayor Gary Laggis could not attend the meeting was but represented by Councilman Jack Gilson. Woolsey’s SPLOST budget is in six figures, much lower than the other municipalities, with the top priority begin the aforementioned community center project, Gilson told the commission.
The commissioners agreed that the performing arts center is a worthwhile endeavor but should not be included on the current SPLOST list.
“I think it will be a wonderful addition to the county, but the timing is not right for us,” said Oddo. “It is a concept I believe in, and I’d like to revisit it at some other time.”
