Albany, Dougherty County public educated on SPLOST funding use

ALBANY — Officials from the city of Albany and Dougherty County attempted to educate the public Tuesday evening on something that, over the course of 30 years, has brought in $456.27 million for improvements.

A public forum was hosted at the Government Center in downtown Albany to discuss the community impact the special purpose, local option sales tax (SPLOST) has had since it was first brought in 30 years ago.

Dougherty County Administrator Richard Crowdis and Albany Assistant City Manager Wes Smith gave insight on how projects are determined and how and why funding is obtained and distributed.

“Our only goal is to educate and share with the community (what is happening with) economic developments in Albany and Dougherty County,” said Albany Mayor Dorothy Hubbard.

In 1985, the General Assembly authorized counties to hold referendums for the approval of an additional 1 percent sales tax for funding special purposes. Officials said the unpopularity of property taxes, and the simplicity and perceived fairness of sales taxes, has made SPLOST a popular method of financing capital project needs — which are typically determined by department heads on the city and county level.

Initially only for roads and bridges with collection limited to four years, it has since expanded. Some of those expansions have allowed for economic developments, improvements and public safety resources such as Pecan Grove Industrial Park, the Government Center, water and sewer extensions, storm drainage improvements, Dougherty County Health Department, Dougherty County Jail improvements, Southwest Georgia Regional Airport improvements, Dougherty County Public Library improvements, Dougherty Judicial Building improvements, Dougherty County EMS stations and Albany Fire Department improvements.

Two ambulances have to be bought each year, with one vehicle costing $140,000, Crowdis said.

As far as recreation and attractions go, SPLOST further allowed for Chehaw improvements, Thronateeska Heritage Center, Hugh Mills Stadium improvements to help keep state track meets in town, Ray Charles Plaza, improvements to the Radium Springs area and Flint RiverQuarium improvements. In terms of additional infrastructure improvements, it has allowed for street lighting, paving and resurfacing, widening of Gillionville Road, sidewalks and traffic signals.

SPLOST IV, for instance, allowed for 21 additional miles of water lines and 238 fire hydrants.

“Residents were able to keep a lot (more money) for fire insurance,” Crowdis said.

SPLOST I, approved on Aug. 6, 1985, for a collection period from Jan. 1, 1986-Dec. 31, 1989, allowed for the collection of $56.34 million exclusively for roads and bridges. SPLOST II was approved in Oct. 12, 1989, to collect from Jan. 1, 1990-Dec. 31, 1994 — and expanded to include capital improvements, collecting $67.27 million. SPLOST III was approved Nov. 9, 1994, with a collection period from April 1, 1995-March 31, 2000, which expanded to include community projects and collected $84.69 million.

SPLOST IV was approved in Nov. 2, 1999, to run from April 1, 2000-March 31, 2005, allowed to include debt retirement, collected $86.83 million. SPLOST V was approved in a 62 percent-38 percent split on Nov. 2, 2004, ran from April 1, 2005-March 31, 2011, expanded to include cities and go to a six-year collection period — collecting $93.63 million. SPLOST VI was approved on Nov. 2, 2010, to run from April 1, 2011 to March 31, 2017, with a 64 percent-36 percent split and had collected $67.51 million as of April.

In all, that adds up to $456.27 million.

Among the projects in the current SPLOST have allowed for the $5.8 million in renovations for the central library branch, Crowdis said.

SPLOST VII, if approved on Nov. 7, 2016, will have a collection period from April 1, 2017-March 31, 2023.