Hart BOC to Begin Work on Putting Next SPLOST on November Ballot

Hart County’s Board of Commissioners will begin next month to work on getting the next special purpose local option sales tax on the November ballot.

At their meeting earlier this week, the board voted to begin work in April.

Hart County’s current SPLOST runs out in 2018 and a special election would typically be held in March of 2017, but at their January meeting, Commissioner Joey Dorsey asked that the board consider the early SPLOST referendum for a couple of reasons.

“Next year is not an election year so if we have a SPLOST vote, we will have to pay for a special election, which will cost us $10,000. My recommendation is that we go ahead and put this on the November ballot this year,” Dorsey said.

County administrator Jon Caime said the next SPLOST revenue will be allocated in a couple of different areas.

However he said most of the revenue, if the next SPLOST passes, will go towards roads.

“Out of the $16 million, about $4-5 million will go to roads,” Caime said. “Then $3.2 million would go to economic development. If we want to continue to have jobs in this community, we’re going to have a source of revenue.”

Other areas where the next SPLOST revenue would go, Caime said is towards expanding the County’s water system.

$3.2 million is going towards water. Water is something that you have to continue to invest in to provide that resource,” he said. “$1.4 million will go towards fire protection and purchasing fire equipment.”

The remaining $1.3 million would go towards the Recreation Department.

Commissioners hope to have the SPLOST referendum into the State in time for it to be put on the November ballot.