The Fayetteville City Council is throwing its support behind the plan to

approve a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax for transportation projects

in Fayette County.

The tax, which would add an extra penny for each dollar of a purchase, would

collect an estimated $121 million over five years, but only if it is approved

At its regular meeting Thursday night, council approved a resolution supporting

the transportation SPLOST.

Mayor Ken Steele noted that when Fayette County and its municipalities joined

to create a transportation plan in 1996, Fayette was the first county in

Georgia to do so.

"All of the municipalities had input into it," Steele added.

The SPLOST proposal, initiated by the county commission in June, calls for

70 percent of the revenue to be used as seed money to fund the county's

long-range comprehensive transportation plan. Those funds will be used to

provide local matches for state and federal grants the county and cities

will seek.

The remaining 30 percent of the SPLOST proceeds will be split among the

county's five municipalities: Peachtree City, Fayetteville, Tyrone,

Brooks and Woolsey.

Peachtree City Mayor Steve Brown opposes the SPLOST, saying Peachtree City

isn't getting its fair share. But critics of Brown's stance have

pointed out that Peachtree City is getting a tremendous amount of work done

now as the far western leg of Ga. Highway 54 heading into Coweta County is

being widened from two to four lanes.

Also in the near future for Peachtree City is the widening of Ga. Highway

74 south from Crosstown Road all the way to Ga. Highway 54, state officials

have said.

A forum about the transportation SPLOST, sponsored by the Fayette County

Chamber of Commerce, is slated for Wednesday, Oct. 20 at 7 p.m. at Sams Auditorium

in Fayetteville on the former campus of Fayette County High School, now known

as the LaFayette Educational Center.