This fall, five counties in Georgia - Chatham, Forsyth, Habersham, Morgan, and Oconee Counties - will vote to decide to authorize or renew taxes that benefit transportation work.
Voters will decide whether to approve a 1% tax that would be used solely for local infrastructure.
The ballots would ask voters to authorize funding from the Transportation Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST). The tax option was created six years ago for roads, bridges, public transit, and seaports.
According to the Georgia Department of Revenue (GDOR), 102 of the state’s 159 counties have enacted the transportation sales tax.
In Chatham County:
- The county currently collects a 7% sales tax. The county consists of eight municipalities including the city of Savannah
- The tax is estimated to raise $143 million for the city of Savannah. The biggest portion, $42 million, would be applied for easing roadway congestion in the state’s fifth most populous city.
- Another $20 million would be allocated for local roadway resurfacing and maintenance projects. Projects focused on traffic calming improvement and expansion would get $7.5 million, and a bridge repair program would receive $3 million.
- In the span of five years, the 1% tax is estimated to raise $420 million throughout the county.
In Forsyth County:
- The five-year, 1% tax is estimated to raise $250 million. Money would be distributed among the county and the city of Cumming to address approved project lists.
- Forsyth county now collects a 7% sales tax.
- 69% of the new tax revenue would stay with the county. $173.2 million of the revenue, would be used for capital projects to address congestion and “critical” new roadway connection. $20 million would be applied for intersection safety improvements. Finally, $4.6 million would be used for roadway resurfacing and improvements.
In Habersham County:
- The county currently collects a 7% sales tax.
- The tax is estimated to generate $44 million over five years. $33.4 million would go to the northeast Georgia county.
- Approximately $10 million would be allocated for existing bridge repair and replacement in the county. $3.4 million would be used for roadway projects. Lastly, $800,000 would be earmarked for safety improvements, re-striping, guardrails, and signs.
- The remainder would go to the county’s five cities.
In Morgan County:
- Morgan county has collected the 1% transportation tax since 2019. The current tax will expire when $18 million in revenue is raised. To date, the county has collected $14.5 million.
- Voter approval would permit the tax to be extended, once the threshold is reached.
- The tax renewal is estimated to raise $25 million over five years.
In Oconee County:
- The tax was rejected in 2021 by voters.
- The new revenue would raise about $71 million over five years.
- About two-thirds of that amount would go toward county roads. The cities of Bishop, North High Shoals and Watkinsville would divvy the rest.
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Source: TSPLOST
