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Gordon County is set to receive $66.7 million of the proposed $1 billion in transportation projects if voters approve the 10-year T-SPLOST collection next November.
The county’s projects would include: North Wall Street improvements; South Calhoun Bypass; intersection improvements at Ga. 225, Ga. 136 and Pine Chapel Road and Ga.3/U.S. 41 widening; Ga. 53 widening.
“The tax would spark jobs, economic development and ease congestion,” said Ryan Mahoney, director of public policy for the Georgia Chamber of Commerce at Thursday’s meeting.
Local leaders across the region are depending heavily on the proposed sales tax, as there appears to be no back-up plan for transportation funding if voters do not approve the tax.
““If this fails, I don’t know where we’ll go,” said Billy Croker, Polk County commissioner.
Proposed projects on the list were chosen by local leaders from each county, not by state or federal governments. Keeping the selection process local helps cut on cost, rather than going through the federal process, said Walker County sole commissioner Bebe Heiskell.
The regional commission is also offering a chance for residents to get involved by scheduling open-house-style public hearings set for Sept. 20 in Cartersville at the Clarence Brown Conference Center and Sept. 22 in Dalton from 5 to 7 p.m.
The Commission, which includes local leaders from Gordon County, will review the list again, including comments made by the public at hearings before the final approval on Oct. 15.
More information about these hearings and T-SPLOST can be found on the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission’s website, http://www.nwgrc.org.
I'm just tire of it.
You have to admit, the SPLOST taxes are usually voted in. Of course, they'll have a special called election, if necessary. That way all of the government employees will show up and vote it in while everyone else is working. They never have enough money. Never.
Here's an idea: how about reducing the number of government vehicles on the roads? That'd ease the congestion. Why is it that every government employee has to have their own personal F250 king cab pickup (fully furnished, of course)? I'm sure we can find a way to reduce spending enough to cover the needs without hitting the taxpayer again.