SPLOST on ballot

By Shane Scoggins

Publisher

CARNESVILLE – Franklin County voters will be asked in November to extend the county’s special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) for six more years.

County commissioners voted Wednesday morning to call for the special referendum and place it on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

Franklin County Manger Derrick Turner said that SPLOST allows the county to complete projects that are beneficial to the county.

“That’s why it is so important to us,” he said.

SPLOST is a one-cent sales tax that may only be used for specially-designated projects listed on the referendum ballot.

An extension of the tax is expected to bring in at least $25.725 million over the six years it is collected.

Proceeds will pay for a number of county projects, as well as special projects for the cities of Lavonia, Royston, Franklin Springs, Canon and Carnesville.

Funds from the SPLOST are also used to pay off outstanding bonds on what is now St. Mary’s Sacred Heart Hospital.

The county was obligated to pay off the bonds after Ty Cobb Regional Medical Center fell on hard financial times in 2014 before selling to St. Mary’s Healthcare.

The referendum also calls for the county to borrow $20 million up-front out of the anticipated revenue to fund projects.

The ballot question will read:

“Shall a special one percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district of Franklin County for a period of time of six years and for the raising of approximately $25,725,000 for the purpose of funding (i) general obligation debt, water, sewer and utilities, industrial development, fire services equipment, fire services vehicles, public safety, roads, streets and bridges, airport, courthouse/public facilities and recreation for Franklin County (ii) roads, public safety, streets and bridges and water and sewer for Franklin Springs, (iii) water, roads, streets and bridges, public safety, and recreation/community center building for Canon, (iv) community center/public facilities, water and sewer, roads, streets and bridges and parking facilities and public safety for Carnesville, (v) library, public safety, recreation, roads, streets and bridges and water and sewer for Lavonia, and (vi) library, roads, streets and sidewalks, and sanitation, water, sewer, storm water and utilities, recreation and administrative building/government buildings/facilities for Royston? If imposition of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall also constitute an approval of the issuance of general obligation Sales Tax Bonds of Franklin County in the maximum principal amount of $20,000,000 for the purposes of funding the projects listed above together with capitalized interest thereon and costs of issuance in connection therewith.”

Funds will be distributed based on the same formula as past SPLOSTs, with Royston and Lavonia receiving 7.25 percent each ($1.725 million) and Carnesville, Canon and Franklin Springs receiving a little less than four percent each ($1 million).

The breakdown of funding will be as follows:

• County projects.

General obligation debt – $3.8 million;

Roads, streets and bridges – $4 million;

Fire services – $2.45 million;

Public safety – $2.5 million;

Water, sewer and utilities – $3.775 million;

Public facilities – $1.5 million;

Industrial development – $750,000;

Recreation – $400,000;

Airport – $100,000.

• City of Canon projects.

Water – $400,000;

Roads, streets and bridges – $200,000;

Public safety and fire – $200,000;

Recreation/community center – $200,00.

• City of Carnesville projects.

Public works (streets, bridges, culverts, sidewalks, parking facilities, public utilities) – $450,000;

Recreation (park improvements) – $350,000;

Fire protection – $200,000.

• City of Franklin Springs projects.

Water and sewer – $375,000;

Roads, streets and sidewalks – $375,000;

Public safety and fire – $250,000.

• City of Lavonia projects.

Roads, streets and sidewalks – $500,000;

Water and sewer – $475,000;

Public safety and fire – $475,000;

Recreation – $225,000;

Library – $50,000.

• City of Royston projects.

Water, sewer, stormwater and utilities – $900,000;

Public safety and fire – $300,000;

Roads, streets, bridges and sanitation – $300,000;

Recreation – $115,000;

Administrative/government buildings – $75,000;

Library – $35,000.

If approved, it will be the county’s sixth SPLOST. An extension of the tax will not increase the sales tax in the county.

The Franklin County Board of Education levies its own special purpose local option sales tax for school projects that is separate from the county’s levy.