Rome pares SPLOST list
The citizens advisory committee will start hearing presentations at its June 15 meeting.
The Rome City Commission decided Thursday to pull a proposed $10.2 million splash pad and indoor sports facility from the list of projects it was sending to the SPLOST Citizens Advisory Committee.
“It’s not a good time for that,” Commissioner Bill Collins said.
Thursday at 5 p.m. was the deadline to submit projects the committee will consider for funding through a special purpose, local option sales tax extension.
If voters approve the package in November, collections would start when the current SPLOST ends on March 31, 2019.
City Manager Sammy Rich presented the commissioners with more than $50 million worth of projects submitted by the various departments. However, he noted that the city’s share of the 2013 SPLOST amounted to about $26 million and gave them the option of whittling it down.
Commissioners ended up taking a handful of items off the list — but not off the books.
“Some things we can put into our capital project budget and get done a whole lot quicker,” Commissioner Evie McNiece said.
Kitchen improvements at the Rome Civic Center, at $75,000, and a $250,000 special events pavilion on the lake at the cityowned Stonebridge Golf Club were removed. Commissioners said the kitchen is a high priority, but it may be up to the golf club management to find money for the pavilion.
A number of small technology projects — security cameras, an emergency generator for City Hall, refreshing the server room and $15,000 for
drones — will likely end up in next year’s budget instead.
The multi-purpose sports facility and adjacent splash pad was proposed for the donated GE property on Lavender Drive. However, commissioners expressed concern about the operating costs and said they want to first finish the trails funded in the current SPLOST.
Rich said he expected to send over a list of between $27 million and $39 million worth of projects.
Floyd County and Cave Spring also are submitting project applications, and some may come from local individuals, agencies and organizations.
County Clerk Erin Elrod is compiling a master list, which will go to the SPLOST Committee for vetting. The first four or five presentations are expected at the committee’s June 15 meeting.