This entry was posted on 2/7/2009 5:13 PM and is filed under uncategorized.
The Georgia Senate and Georgia House of Representatives have bills that will allow Georgia voters to decide in 2010 if they wish to have an extra one-cent sales tax for funding transportation projects... but that is where the similarity ends.
Senate Bill 39 (SB 39) proposes "...to provide for an up to 1 percent sales tax to be
used to fund transportation projects in special transportation districts within
the state; to provide for the creation of such districts, the governance
thereof, and the development of a list of transportation projects of the
district; to provide that each county may opt out of the district; to provide
for the district to pass a resolution calling for a referendum within the
district; to provide for the tax to be levied by the participating counties; to
provide for the funds collected to be deposited in trust accounts; to provide
for contracting and constructing of the transportation projects on the regional
lists...", pending approval in a statewide referendum to be held in November of 2010. (Source: Georgia General Assembly website.)
House Bill 277 (HB 277) is "..relating to highways, bridges, and ferries, so as to provide for a
short title; to provide for definitions; to create the Georgia 2020
Transportation Trust Fund Oversight Committee and to provide for its
membership, powers, and duties; to provide criteria for expenditures
from the Transportation Trust Fund; to provide for allocation of funds
from the trust fund; to provide a list of programs or projects to be
funded through the trust fund; to amend Title 48 of the Official Code
of Georgia Annotated, relating to revenue and taxation, so as to
implement the additional 1 percent special transportation sales and use
tax..." (in other words, a statewide sales tax) pending approval in a statewide referendum to be held in November of 2010. (Source: Georgia General Assembly website.)
HB 277 does provide a list of statewide road projects that would be included in the bill, but several of them, including GA 133 from I-75 in Valdosta to US 19/GA 3/300 (Georgia-Florida Parkway) in Albany and GA 44 from I-20 to Linger Longer Road (near Reynolds Plantation) in Greene County, are not ones that are relevant to people who have to drive to their "real jobs", kids' ballgames, etc., on Metro Atlanta's roads. There are relevant projects such as converting GA 316 between Athens and Lawrenceville to a fully limited-access highway, but since this would be a statewide sales tax, I'm concerned that, if HB 277 is passed into law and the voters decide accordingly, then the politicians would be given too much "carte blanche" on how and where the tax proceeds will be spent.
My preference would be for SB 39, which allows contiguouus counties to group together and allow their respective voters to decide on a one-cent transportation sales tax to be levied only within said group. While the specific projects are not "hardcoded" into SB 39, it does provide that the list of projects to be funded be provided to voters as part of the referendum process. For instance, Gwinnett, Barrow, and Oconee Counties could band together and put the proposed GA 316 upgrade (among other transportation projects within their counties) on a ballot to allow voters to decide whether or not to fund the projects via the one-cent sales tax. Lowndes, Brooks, Colquitt, Worth, and Dougherty Counties could do the same regarding GA 133, and ditto for Greene County regarding GA 44. In both cases, the taxation control would be decided by their respective local voters.
If SB 39 is passed into law, then I'd be likely to vote for the extra penny of sales tax, knowing that the money would stay within my part of the state, as opposed to potentially funding some "pork barrel" project elsewhere.
Most of all, I urge you, dear reader, to take a look at both SB 39 and HB 277, make your own informed decision, and if you can, then let your elected officials know as soon as possible.
That's it for now. Thanks for reading and please come back again.
2/26/2009 8:33 PM
Crete Girl wrote:
I support the 1 cent sales tax statewide. I do not support Purdue's new State Transportation Authority. I believe GDOT does a good job for our transportation needs. Reply to this
4/24/2009 9:30 PM
Crete Girl wrote:
Please discuss SB200 on your site. I found the following on What's Goin On? Blog: How does a modern, 21st Century legislative body pass legislation that places the control of roads projects in one man appointed by the Governor? How do they decide that each road project in the state has to be approved by a general assembly that meets 40 days ever year? Yep, that is the essentials of the legislature’s attempt to dismantle the DOT and politicize road projects in Georgia. Reply to this
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