By Shane Scoggins
Publisher
ROYSTON – Utility work, maintenance for city buildings and continuing improvements at the Royston Wellness and Community Park are among the projects that will be funded with an extension of the county-wide special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST).
County voters will decide Tuesday on whether or not to extend the SPLOST for county projects.
The county expects to collect more than $25.7 million over six years with an extension of the one-cent tax.
Of that total, Royston expects to receive about $1.79 million from the SPLOST, Mayor Keith Turman said, based on an agreement between the county and city governments on how to divide the money.
Royston’s part of the ballot lists “water, sewer, storm water and utilities, roads, streets, bridges and sanitation, public safety and fire, administrative building, government facilities, recreation and library” as the items to be funded by the SPLOST.
Here’s a look at some of the city’s plans:
• Utilities.
The city plans to use $900,000 of its SPLOST funds to upgrade its current water and sewer systems.
• Roads, streets, bridges and stormwater.
Another $300,000 will go to roads and stormwater work.
The money will be used to match state funds from the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG), Turman said.
• Public safety.
The city will use SPLOST to pay for improvements in both the police and fire departments.
The police department needs maintenance to its building, and funds will also be used to buy police vehicles.
Funds for the fire department will buy equipment upgrades and turnout gear, including self-contained breathing apparatus air packs.
The public safety part of the SPLOST will total $300,000.
• Recreation.
Royston has earmarked $115,000 to continue work at the Wellness Park. The city also plans to pursue grants to help with planned projects, Turman said.
The city has plans to build bathrooms near the new amphitheater and to build pickle ball courts.
There’s been a lot of interest in pickle ball, Turman said.
The addition will allow the park to be a destination for all Royston citizens, young and old alike, he said.
• Administration.
Some $75,000 is being set aside for the city to use for new computer hardware for city hall and to make repairs to the Depot downtown.
• Library.
A new roof for the Royston Public Library and other repairs will cost $35,000 of the SPLOST funds, Turman said.
Turman said no city nor county can continue without a SPLOST.
“Everybody needs to support it,” he said. “I think it’s the fairest tax we have.”