Dividing the millions
SPLOST talks continue
Nash says water, sewer projects would doom February referendum
BY ZACH MITCHAM
County commission chairman Wesley Nash told board members Monday that allocating sales tax funds toward water and sewer projects would tank the 2008 sales tax referendum.
“I think putting any water and sewer projects on this referendum will kill this thing,” said Nash. “People don’t give a flip about sewer going in over yonder or water going out yonder when they’re sitting on the other side of the county. I’ve heard it too much.”
County commissioners are contemplating how millions of sales tax dollars will be allocated if voters renew the one-cent special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) in February.
Instead of placing any money toward water and sewer projects, Nash suggested that the county allocate $3.5 million to expanding the county jail, $1.5 million toward county municipal projects, $2 million to the recreation department, $1 million to the library, $300,000 to EMS and $200,000 to the transfer station.
County clerk and chief financial officer Morris Fortson projects sales tax revenues at $10.5 million over five years and $12.6 million over six years. The commissioners, who met Monday and then again Wednesday afternoon (see next week’s edition for coverage of that meeting), are considering a six-year renewal of SPLOST and giving each town in Madison County a slice of the sales tax pie. Nash suggested that the six towns divide 10 percent of the total SPLOST revenues, using the formula already established in the Local Option Sales Tax (LOST) to divvy up funds between the cities.
Nash said the county industrial authority can pursue funding for water and sewer projects without any help from the BOC.
“They (the IDA) are a taxing entity,” said Nash. “They tax one mill a year. They can tax up to two mills. If they want to tax up to two mills, let them take the heat. This board doesn’t need to take the heat. The other thing is: they can get more grants and low-interest loans than we ever thought of.”
County commissioner Stanley Thomas said a sewer system in the Hull area is needed to boost the county’s commercial base and he said sales tax funding makes the most sense, because the burden is spread evenly, not just on property owners.
“If we say O.K., the IDA can add a mill to people’s taxes and take the heat, then everybody that’s a property owner is paying those taxes,” said Thomas. “This (SPLOST) is money that everybody that spends a dollar in the county is paying.”
The board made no decisions Monday on how sales tax money will be allocated, but the four commissioners on hand — Mike Youngblood was not able to make the meeting — all agreed that doubling the inmate capacity at the county jail is the top sales tax project priority.
Commissioner Wesley Jordan suggested that the BOC seek loans for the jail project instead of footing the entire bill with SPLOST revenues. He said this would free up more revenues for other projects. Likewise, commissioners believe that moving forward with the jail expansion will ultimately lead to savings for the county, since the cost of housing female inmates out of the county has skyrocketed in recent years. Madison County has no facilities for female prisoners. But commissioners say that once the expansion is complete, money previously tagged for housing out female prisoners could help offset some of the construction costs.
Each of the four commissioners on hand Monday offered thoughts on sales tax funding. Thomas spoke of other public safety needs: new ambulances, a proposed move of the Comer EMS station to Madico Park, a crime scene vehicle for the sheriff’s department. He said sewer services in Hull are needed, but spoke, too, of the need to develop a county water source.
“That’s a concern is our water,” he said.
Jordan agreed with the need to address water supplies.
“They’re starting to make it easier to get permits for reservoirs now,” said Jordan. “I think we need to look into grants and start allocating money for our water. It should be pretty eye opening for anybody what’s happening in Clarke County and Atlanta. We don’t know what’s under the ground here. It might be like the Bear Creek Reservoir up under our ground. It could be drying up just like that, but we don’t have a way to look at it.”
Jordan also mentioned EMS and recreation enhancements. He said he’d like to see the library expanded, as well. He noted that over $2 million of the projected $4.1 million cost of the expansion would be covered by state funds.
“The library has such good grants up there,” said Jordan. The money that we get for what we invest will be a good investment. We need to at least consider that.”
Commissioner John Pethel mentioned water and sewer services and EMS enhancements, such as a new station at Madico. He spoke of renovations to the old county courthouse and upgrades at the 911 office and the transfer station.
Commissioner Bruce Scogin echoed his fellow board members feelings on the jail, EMS, the library and other projects. He added that the board’s willingness to share some of the SPLOST funding with cities is “a step in the right direction.” He said cities are bearing the brunt of much of the county’s growth.
“I think we really need to work with our cities more than we have in the past,” said Scogin. “It wouldn’t hurt my feelings if we gave them more than 10 percent (of SPLOST funding).”
Board members also recognized that road funding is needed, too. Nash noted that state aid for roads continues to dwindle.
“We need $1 million a year to keep our head above water,” he said. “The state is not there to help us anymore.”
While the SPLOST meeting concerned the allocation of millions of dollars in sales tax funding, only four people attended the meeting, including Colbert Mayor John Waggoner, Danielsville Mayor Glenn Cross and Danielsville City Clerk Michelle Dills.
Commissioners are trying to iron out SPLOST spending projects by the middle of this month so that they can meet all legal requirements for getting General Assembly approval for a Feb. 5 SPLOST referendum.
