Lavonia City Council Agrees to Proposed T-SPLOST Split

The Lavonia City Council has agreed to a 7.35% share of the proposed transportation sales tax revenue, if it’s passed by the voters in the spring.

Recently, Franklin County Manager Beth Thomas told the Board of Commissioners the County would not be receiving enough Local Maintenance Improvement Grant monies from the Georgia Department of Transportation in 2020 to repair or repave more than three County roads.

In November, Thomas told the Board the County will be receiving $617,000 in LMIG monies.

With a County 30% match from SPLOST funds, that will come to just over $800,000 in 2020, but she said there are over a million dollars in road projects needed in the County.

Thomas noted there is a new State law passed by lawmakers during the last General Assembly, allowing all counties in Georgia the option to levy a Single County  Transportation Special Option Local Sales Tax or TSPLOST.

“Other counties in the State have gone for a single-county transportation funding – a 1% sales tax added to what’s already there that is specific to transportation funding. In order for us as a County to do that, we would need to go before the voters. There are certain steps that we have to follow and one of the first things we have to do is to reach an agreement with the municipalities,” she said.

At their regular meeting last week, the Lavonia City Council heard from City Manager Charles Cawthon who recommended accepting the suggested T-SPLOST revenue split, based on the current SPLOST split.

“You’re not saying that you endorse this referendum. You’re not saying that you recommend it. What you are saying is that if this gets put on the ballot, if it does pass, then here’s the way these monies are going to be split,” Cawthon explained. “And the model for that split is our present SPLOST distribution. What would this realize for the City of Lavonia over five years is $235,000 extra that we could spend on transportation projects. And you know how important that would be.”

Cawthon noted counties surrounding Franklin County, including Banks and Elbert counties, have instituted a T-SPLOST.

Under the current SPLOST distribution, the County would receive 73.21% of the revenue, Lavonia and Royston, 7.35% respectively, and Carnesville, Canon, and Franklin Springs would each receive 4.03%.

If all municipalities agree, Thomas said she hopes to have a referendum ready to send to the State by the end of December to be put on the March ballot.