How to learn more about Nov. 7 referendum on 1-cent transportation sales tax

Apr. 20—Residents can learn more Tuesday about plans for a Nov. 7 vote on a 1-cent sales tax just for road projects.

A public meeting is set for noon April 25 at the Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road.

Officials with the county and city governments in Hall will talk about potential projects that would be covered by the transportation special purpose local option sales tax, or TSPLOST, an acronym voters will hear a lot in coming months.

Other details, including when the Hall County Board of Commissioners would call the referendum, will be discussed.

The tax is expected to generate $325 million over its five-year span and would be spent just on transportation projects.

If approved, Hall County's sales tax would increase from 7 to 8 cents on the dollar.

The state sales tax is 4 cents, but Hall, like other counties in Georgia, has added other pennies per dollar for other purposes. Voters have approved a 1-cent tax for public projects such as parks and a 1-cent tax for education-only purposes, such as new school buildings.

And the state allows cities and counties to negotiate how to divvy up another penny tax, known as LOST, once per decade. Gainesville and Hall wrapped up that process in 2022.

Government officials can't advocate for the transportation tax, but they can inform the public, such as through Tuesday's meeting.

The need for road projects to keep up with Hall's ever-growing population isn't lost on officials, however.

"We can't just tell the public we're going to do some transportation stuff," Gainesville City Manager Bryan Lackey said. "We do need specific, quality-of-life, enhancement-type of projects to move forward with."

One example in Hall County is continuing the widening of Spout Springs Road in South Hall.

The first phase is finished between Interstate 985 and Union Circle. A second phase that would widen the road from two to four lanes between Union Circle and Thompson Mill Road near the Gwinnett County line is on the books, but no funding has been secured.

Another project could be the widening of McEver Road.

A couple of Gainesville projects might be one to ease traffic in the Park Hill Drive area near Riverside Drive and South Enota Avenue, as well as improvements in the city's southside, including connectors to Limestone Parkway and Downey Boulevard.

Hall County does have long-term and short-term transportation plans through the Gainesville-Hall Metropolitan Planning Organization.

However, many projects, because of projected available funding, including federal and state sources, aren't projected to happen for many years.

For example, the widening of McEver Road between Lanier Islands Parkway/Ga. 347 and Gainesville Street in Flowery Branch isn't scheduled until between 2031 and 2040.

Transportation sales tax

What: Public meeting on plans for Nov. 7 referendum on transportation sales tax

When: noon Tuesday, April 25

Where: Fourth floor, Hall County Government Center, 2875 Browns Bridge Road, Gainesville