Officials looking for ways to get county support for SPLOST packages
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Alan Horne, global sales supervisor for Suzuki Manufacturing in Rome, told members of the Rome-Floyd Development Authority that a meeting has been called for Jan. 11 to discuss how the special purpose, local option sales tax message can be better presented to residents in unincorporated Floyd County, where support for sales taxes is often lacking.
Floyd County Commission Chairman John Mayes suggested that leading figures in the various communities outside of Rome be invited to attend the meeting.
Bagby went a step further.
“We need some aginners; it’s going to bite us some day,” said Bagby.
SPLOST packages have brought a lot to Rome and Floyd County — The Forum, State Mutual Stadium, road improvements and sewage infrastructure improvements.
City Manager John Bennett told the authority that having a citizens’ committee develop the last several packages has lent some credibility to the final list of projects put forth to voters.
In spite of that so-called credibility, it’s not been unusual for SPLOST packages to be decided by razor-thin margins, often with the city voting yes and unincorporated voters no.
The 2001 vote for a new baseball stadium to house the Rome Braves passed by a margin of 142 votes. The 2003 package highlighted by funding for a new health department and a major upgrade of the city’s sewage treatment plant passed by only 67 votes. The 2009 SPLOST that featured a major upgrade of the emergency communications network passed by just 169 votes.
There are similarities in each of those three extremely close elections. Fewer than 27 percent of the voters in Everett Springs voted for any of the three packages.
Fewer than 40 percent of the turnout in the North Carolina precinct, which is the Coosa area, voted for any of the SPLOSTs. Forty-four percent is the highest approval rate from the Watters precinct, the Shannon community.
The Howell precinct, in the Wax-Flint Hill area, is typically in the 30-percent range though 41 percent did go for the Stadium SPLOST. Foster’s Mill, between Coosa and Cave Spring, is another precinct where less than 42 percent of the voters approved any of the three packages.
In other business the Rome-Floyd Development Authority met behind closed doors to discuss property acquisition; no votes were taken.
The Rome-Floyd Authority will conduct a joint meeting with the Development Authority of Floyd County on Friday. Both authorities are partners in options on property at the intersection of highways 53 and 140. Part of the SPLOST package that just passed included funds for the actual purchase of that property for future industrial use.
Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce President Al Hodge said his staff continues to be busy showing off properties to potential industrial clients. He also reported a number of existing industries have expressed interest in expansion. Hodge said Bekaert Corp. has recently added about 20 employees.
Chamber officials recently hosted Antje Abshoff, the director of European Operations for the Georgia Department of Economic Development.
A couple of German attorneys participated in the chamber’s recent Innovation conference. They represent a number of German firms looking toward possible expansion in the U.S. Abshoff office in Munich.
Click here to see how precincts voted in the most recent SPLOST
Make it the "lower your property taxes splost".
I would vote for that.
Don't spend it on anything, just use it to lower my property taxes.
to the city and county to save live's, and protect it's citizen's, and business's. than wasting money on grass for a football field.
LIVE'S AND SAFTY SHOULD BE PUT BEFORE GRASS.
NOTHING IS ENSURED OR GUARENTEED IN LIFE BUT
TAXES AND DEATH! NAIA MIGHT GET A BETTER DEAL FROM ANOTHER CITY.as i stated i did in fact vote aganst the splot. but it passed so i will pay my fair share, and nothing is being bulit in my back yard. and yes i will benfit from it passing
i hope. but again i just really feel the voter's
were misled as to which project's were really important. would any one have voted yes to the spolt. if they had said that the first project was in fact going to be putting new grass on a football field? and not the communication center.
i just do not belive that.
I live in the county and I support the SPLOST. Just because they don't build something in my backyard doesn't mean I can't take advantage of it.
taxe's?i know for a fact that the upstart cost for the communication system will only be a drop
in the bucket, maintaining the system will be where the real cost will add up. the county and city has known about the need to upgrade for over three year's but they took 100 % no action
on this matter at all. as reported in the rn-t. by county manager poe.i'm not aganst the upgrade
i just belive three year's ago, it could have been done much cheaper, and higher quality. also
it seem's to me they are more interested in the grass on a stupid football field, than on this project.just plain stupid, grass over live's!
if they ever let the voter's, vote on each project included in a splot, i just might change my mind.
I agree that the communication system is outdated and does not work very well but I know there are other less costly options other than what was proposed.
Why can't they wait on the money to come in before spending it?
It makes no sense to borrow against the expected tax revenue and pay interest.
#2-The current SPLOST deal is due to expire soon so this wouldn't be a "new" tax but basically a continuation of a system already in place.
#3 The biggest reason I was was sold, and probably many people were with me, was the fact our communications system for 911 is out dated and will be useless for the new FCC regulations coming quickly coming down the pike.
Having said that it makes me livid to hear the first project is going to be changing the grass in the stupid high school football stadium. I my opinion if it is touched at all with the tax $$ then it should be the very last project to be accomplished, not the first, there IS already grass there. I have been on it myself many times before.
As far as missing a penny here and a penny there, that is how this country has gotten to be taxed at or near 50%. I would love for politicians to keep their hands out of the different pots to get their pet projects done, and then raise taxes so that the necessary entities have money to operate, but we all know THAT wont happen, not now, not ever.
But heck, I'd rather them take my pennies for such boondoggles than my dollars.
It's sad when we have to have a special tax for the basics like a communication system... These are things that should be covered under the taxes we already pay. SPLOST should go for things that are nice but not needed--like pedestrian bridges, tennis court lights, and roads to bring in more traffic congestion.
Luckily I live in Southern Floyd County so I can go to Polk County for shopping when this goes into effect. I figure it will save our family about $350.
Plus, you have areas like Southern Floyd County in the Silver Creek and Lindale that seem to get passed over for SPLOST projects. Oh wait! We got new lights on the tennis courts at Gilbreath! But wait... They can't be used since the Rec Department is only opens the center a few hours a week due to budget cuts! So, new lights but what are they good for?