Commission OKs referendum resolutions

Columbia County voters will get to decide for themselves whether they want to pay for construction of an aquatics and tennis center.

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The county commission approved a resolution Tuesday to include a bond referendum for a natatorium and tennis courts on the ballot for the November general election.

If voters approve, the referendum would allow county officials to issue a general obligation bond of up to $17 million, paid back with a property tax increase, for the construction of aquatic and tennis centers.

Also, commissioners approved a resolution Tuesday to add a referendum for renewal of the one percent sales tax to the November ballot.

If it is approved, officials expect the tax to raise about $180 million from 2011 to 2016. The money would pay for capital improvement projects for recreation, transportation, stormwater and buildings.

Commissioners said they will approve a final list of sales tax projects at their Aug. 19 meeting.

The resolutions had to be adopted Tuesday in order to meet a deadline established by the Georgia secretary of state to include referendums in the general election.

In other business Tuesday, commissioners agreed to develop a plan to build sidewalks on Mullikin Road. This was done in the wake of a fatal accident on the Evans road last month.

Several residents spoke in favor of constructing the sidewalks.

Kindergarten teacher Christian Giles, 24, was fatally hit by a Ford Expedition in July while walking on the shoulder of Mullikin Road.

Commissioners said they could use discretionary funds from the current sales tax to build a sidewalk on Mullikin Road from Furys Ferry Road to Hunter's Cove, near the Savannah River. A portion of the road, near River Ridge Elementary School and Quinn Drive, already has a sidewalk.

The estimated cost to build the sidewalk is $575,000, said Scott Herring, the county's director of Construction and Maintenance Services. Construction likely would not start before the end of the year, he said.

Before the meeting, former Harlem Mayor Scott Dean was sworn in as the new District 4 county commissioner. He won the special election July 15 to fill the unexpired term of Lee Anderson, who resigned in April to make a successful run for a state House seat.