Macon voters to weigh extending increased sales tax

Macon voters are set to decide next month whether to approve a penny-on-the-dollar sales tax to raise $450 million for county projects related to public safety, recreation, road paving and economic development.

The proposed 2025 SPLOST, which stands for Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, would continue the 2018 SPLOST penny sales tax, which was approved by 60% of voters in 2016 and helped the county pay for new fire stations, sheriff’s patrol cars, debt retirement, new parks and road repairs among other projects. 

Mayor Lester Miller has floated ideas including the possibility of a new local or regional jail and  extending the regional airport runway, but specific projects will be determined at a future date.

The 2025 SPLOST will be the lone ballot item. Election Day is March 18. 

The deadline to register to vote in the election is Feb. 18 and the last day to request an absentee ballot is March 7. Early voting is set for Feb. 24 – March 14 at the Macon Mall and the Elaine Lucas Senior Center. Saturday voting is set for March 1 and 8 at the Macon Mall from 1-5 p.m.

Go Big for Macon-Bibb, a committee that registered with the state late last month, is raising money to educate voters about the importance of SPLOST and campaigning for its approval.

“We’re serving at the pleasure of the mayor but we’re not an entity of the county government by any stretch of the imagination,” said committee member Erin Keller, who is vice president for development at NewTown Macon. “This is one of those necessary things that we need to continue.”

Others on the committee include longtime Macon City Councilperson Theron Ussery, lawyer Virgil Adams, realtor Stephanie Folsom and insurance broker Izza Sola, according to a news release from political consultant group Southern Majority. 

A 2009 study by Georgia Tech on county exports shows more than 70% of SPLOST revenue for Bibb County came from the pockets of people who do not live here. Data on how much revenue was generated by non-county residents for the 2018 SPLOST is not available.

State law limits how the county can spend SPLOST dollars to capital improvements and special purposes such as public safety, recreation and transportation. 

The 2018 SPLOST was capped at collecting $280 million. As of late last year, the county collected $253 million and had spent $232 million, county spokesperson Chris Floore said. Annual revenue was higher than expected, causing the county to collect near the capped limit years earlier than anticipated.

Among projects the 2018 SPLOST helped pay for are: 

• Improvements to Central City Park (field lighting, skate park) – $4.2 million 
• Stormwater improvements – $19.8 million
• Closure of the Walker Road Landfill – $19.2 million
• Cliffview Lake Park – $1.8 million
• Improvements to Jeffersonville Road – $4.3 million
• Ocmulgee Heritage Trail – $2.8 million
• Filmore Thomas Park – $2.4 million
• Electric buses – $3.8 million
• Delores A. Brooks Recreation Center, field lighting – $1.2 million 
• Barrington Hall sidewalks – $397,509
• Debt retirement for the Macon-Bibb County Industrial Authority and Macon-Bibb County Urban Development Authority
• Renovations to the Booker T. Washington Community Center
• Improvements to the campgrounds at Lake Tobesofkee – $597,270
• Improvements and additions to the courthouse – $2.5 million
• Improvements to the district attorney’s office – $305,000
• Renovations to the Robert Train Building and the Grand Opera House
• Improvements at Claystone and Arrowhead parks
• Crossing guards for Bibb County schools – $300,000
• Verkada cameras, FLOCK cameras and other sheriff’s office equipment – $2.7 million
• Flashing lights for school speed zones – $500,000