Sales tax question OK'd for election

There's a slate projects on Columbia County's horizon, but voters will have the final say whether to collect the money.

After months of public hearings, meetings with county departments and elected leaders, a consultant has pulled together a multi-million dollar wish list, including new buildings, parks and road improvements, to be paid for though an extension of 1-cent sales tax collections.

"Those numbers have pretty much been reviewed," County Administrator Steve Szablewski said. "The final call for the election will be on Tuesday."

At its regular meeting Tuesday night, Columbia County Board of Commissioners will approve placing a question on ballots during the July 20 primary elections.

The referendum will ask voters if they want to extend the 1 percent sales tax for another five years, collecting no more than $69 million and then lists a number of the projects picked to be paid for through the money.

Projects, including the completion of Blanchard Woods park with new soccer fields for $3.8 million, $20 million of transportation projects and $4.3 million for new fire station buildings and renovations have been selected.

The initial list was much higher, said Robin Chasman, the consultant hired to guide the county through it's fourth special purpose local option sales tax referendum.

"We identified $177 million worth of needs that you would have over the next six years," Chasman recently told county commissioners. "As you can see it's going to be impossible for you folks to meet all of your needs."

The county's current SPLOST cycle collects about $1 million a month and expires at the end of next year.

The proposed extension, if approved, includes a 5.8 percent allocation to Grovetown and 2.7 percent for Harlem.

Szablewski said the county already has negotiated with the new cities about what their cut of the collections would be.

"We have entered into intergovernmental agreements with both cities outlying those percentages, so they have been approved by all three governments," he said.

County officials also have looked at the possibility of issuing general obligation bonds to start projects earlier and allow SPLOST collections to pay back the debt. The amount of the proposed bonds will appear on the ballot.

Below are some of the projects the county has earmarked for 1-cent sales tax money if the collections are extended during 2006-2010. Tier I projects totaling $52 million would likely be funded, based on the amount of money now being collected.

Projects.......................Tier I funding

State transportation.......................$2 million

County transportation......................$14.5 million

Savannah Rapids Pavilion improvements......$1 million

Animal shelter improvements...................$200,000

Fire stations and renovations..............$4.3 million

Fire apparatus replacement.................$2.3 million

Apparatus for new fire stations...............$700,000

Emergency operations center................$1.5 million

Blanchard Woods Park completion............$3.8 million

Reed Creek Park improvements...............$750,000

Performing Arts Center upfit...............$750,000

Blackstone Camp passive park improvements..$200,000

Harlem and Grovetown allocation............$4.4 million

Water and sewer projects with cities.......$4 million