Should Fayette County approve a new SPLOST?

On March 21, Fayette County voters will decide whether to approve a onecent special purpose local option sales tax that would raise approximately $141 million over six years for stormwater, transportation and infrastructure projects.

If the SPLOST is approved, the county and its municipalities — Fayetteville, Peachtree City, Tyrone, Brooks and Woolsey — would divide the proceeds to fund specific projects already prioritized by the respective governing bodies. The county would get approximately $64.6 million, Peachtree City $45.5 million, Fayetteville $21 million, Tyrone $9 million and Brooks just under $700,000.

The 238 projects include dams, intersections and paving (roads and golf cart paths), plus a new fire station and public safety radio system. Woolsey would get $223,000 to turn a historic building into a community center.

Each municipality has Revenue from a proposed one-cent sales tax increase in Fayette County would be divided among its regions based on predetermined percentages. In millions a web page dedicated to SPLOST information, and the county has posted an interactive map at www.fayette countyga.gov that details each project.

Representatives from the county and cities are holding public information meetings and setting up information booths at local events to help sell the SPLOST; the mayors and/or city managers of each locality have all gone on record supporting the sales tax, since shoppers from outside the county would contribute a significant portion of the revenue and because the county and cities would either have to further delay projects or fund them by raising other taxes if the SPLOST fails.

Not everyone is on board, however; former Peachtree City mayor Don Haddix calls the SPLOST “double taxation” because stormwater fees would still be collected even if the extra sales tax is added. Other folks just don’t like the idea of any more taxes, period.

Fayette residents, do you favor or oppose the proposed SPLOST, and why? Send comments by Tuesday to communitynews@ajc.com; replies may be published in print or online.