T-SPLOST Public Meetings Set —SGRC

Received yesterday. -jsq

For Immediate Release	For More Information Contact:
August 25, 2011	Corey Hull, 229-333-5277

Public Meetings Set for Transportation Sales Tax Project List

The Southern Georgia Regional Transportation Roundtable has set a series of public meetings to review the Draft Constrained Investment List for the following counties, representing the Special District for a proposed transportation sales and use tax: Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Charlton, Clinch, Coffee, Cook, Echols, Irwin, Lanier, Lowndes, Pierce, Tift, Turner, and Ware.

In 2010, Governor Sonny Perdue signed into law the Transportation Investment Act of 2010, a law prescribing a regional sales tax referendum for transportation projects. Jay Roberts, State Representative from District 154-Ocilla, and Chairman of the House Transportation Committee, said “This law gives

the citizens of each region the power to invest in their own transportation infrastructure for economic development and job creation.” The law would create a regional one-percent sales tax to be collected for ten years and is divided into two pots of revenue. Seventy-five percent of the revenue is distributed regionally by the Constrained Investment List; the remaining twenty-five percent is divided by formula amongst all local governments in the region to use at their discretion on transportation projects. “The State’s transportation revenues no longer support the growing need to remain economically competitive, this new revenue will allow Georgia to continue to be a leader in transportation investment” said Roberts.

This summer the Executive Committee of the Roundtable has met several times to select the projects presented in this draft list. Travis Harper, Mayor of Nashville, GA and Chairman of the Executive Committee commented on the process to review and select the projects: “The Executive Committee reviewed each and every project and how it best met the needs of the region, and worked to make sure the sales tax revenue was divided equitably amongst the region.” The Executive Committee selected 57 projects, totaling more than $495 million. Each county has at least one project.

In September the following public meetings will be held so the public can comment on the Draft Constrained Investment List. Three public meetings will be held at the following locations, the Project List will also be available online at www.sgrc.us/transportation.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011; 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.; at the Southern Georgia Regional Commission Waycross Office; 1725 South Georgia Parkway West, Waycross, Georgia; presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m.

Monday, September 19, 2011; 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m.; at the Valdosta City Hall Annex; 300 North Lee Street, Valdosta, Georgia; presentation will begin at 10:30 a.m.

Monday, September 19, 2011; 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.; at the Grand Conference Center; 119 South Main Street, Fitzgerald, Georgia; presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m.

After the public meetings the Roundtable will reconvene to review the public comments and adopt a final Constrained List that will be presented on the ballot to voters in 2012.

For more information please contact Corey Hull at the Southern Georgia Regional Commission at [email protected] or at 229-333-5277.