City Makes Case for $9 Million in Next Round of SPLOST Revenue

The City of Toccoa is hoping to receive $9-million in the next round of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax revenue.

SPLOST 6 ends June 30th and collection of SPLOST 7 begins July 1.

Distribution of those funds starts January 1, 2020 and will take place over a six-year period if the County agrees to the City’s funding request.

City officials met Tuesday with the Stephens County Board of Commissioners and County Administrator Phyllis Ayers to outline the projects they would like to fund.

Toccoa City Manager Billy Morse said the $9-million dollars requested is $3-million more than what was received for SPLOST 6. The reason he says is because they have a much bigger project on their list.

“We got a $5-million water plant upgade included in that. $2-million for roads and bridges; and $2-million for a fire truck, patrol cars, and other equipment,” he said.

Morse said it’s been decades since the waste/water treatment plant has been updated and it’s due now for a complete overhaul.

“Our plant has not been upgraded in 20 years,” Morse explained. “We are starting to see the plant having difficulty meeting today’s flows and the new treatment limits that are required of us. And so it’s time to upgrade the plant. We feel that it is not just a City request but a County request. Obviously, the wastewater is critical to economic development in this County. And we did make that case to the other players that this is important and this needs to be funded.”

Morse said the total cost of the waste/water treatment plant upgrade is $9 million, but only $5-million in SPLOST funds would be allocated for the project.

He said where the other $4-million will come from has yet to be determined.

However, the balance of the $9-million in SPLOST monies will go towards roads and bridge repairs and resurfacing and the purchase of new fire trucks, police patrol cars and other equipment.

“The fire chief is asking for three fire trucks over the next ten years,” he said. “We’ve got one in this budget, we’ve got one we’re asking for in SPLOST 7 and we’ll have to figure out where the other one comes from. And what we’re trying to do is replace three police patrol cars each year. So, over the course of six years that would be 18 patrol cars.”

No decision on was made Tuesday evening by the County as to whether the City will get the full $9-million.

The County commission will meet again on Monday May 13 and again on June 16 and July 15 with the municipalities to continue discussions on how SPLOST monies will be allocated.

On July 23, the County is expected to adopt a resolution calling for the implementation of SPLOST 7.

Voters will then go to the polls on November 5 to vote on the SPLOST 7 Referendum.