The Union County Commissioner’s Office hosted an educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Town Hall at the Fine Arts Center on Thursday, Sept. 10, which enjoyed slightly greater attendance by the public than the previous week’s SPLOST Town Hall in Suches.
As in the first Town Hall, officials with various departments presented the ways that continuing the 1% sales tax could benefit the county moving forward and shared how SPLOST has already been used.
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Pam Hawkins, who is over SPLOST projects at the Commissioner’s Office, opened the evening with a presentation that explained not just what SPLOST is, but how that money is divided up.
“In order to plan for SPLOST VI, which is a continuation of the one penny sales tax that has been in place for over 25 years, we first have to estimate the total that six years of future collections will be by using our current SPLOST actual collections,” explained Hawkins.
SPLOST VI projections using recent collections total to $43 million, which Hawkins said was “truly an estimate, as the economy fluctuations over the six-year period can change this total amount.”
The presentation included a list of proposed SPLOST VI projects, with upgrades to public safety, roads and bridges, county administrative facilities, the library, parks and recreation, solid waste management and purchases for vehicles and equipment across departments.
Hawkins also gave several examples of SPLOST V expenditures, including the new E-911 Center at $5 million; the voter registration and elections facility at $2.186 million; an HVAC upgrade for the Community Center at $637,355; and a fire engine that cost $700,000.
“These are only a few examples of how Union County uses SPLOST funds to provide needed county services to the public,” Hawkins said, revealing that the SPLOST 5 projects presented came out to a $12 million expense that did not include yearly costs for road maintenance.
To put things into perspective, Hawkins shared that paving and striping this year cost $255,000 per mile, leading to a $2 million projected price tag for 8 miles of work if asphalt and diesel prices remain steady.
The new www.unioncountysplost.org website was revealed with an educational video compiling the thoughts of county leaders and community members. Alongside exploring media showcasing projects funded by SPLOST, Hawkins said anyone with questions is encouraged to take advantage of the site’s “Contact” tab and get in touch with the Commissioner’s Office.
Fire Chief David Dyer then commented on behalf of the Union County Fire Department, Emergency Management Agency and 911 Center, as he directs all three.
“I’ve been in public safety for 36 years, and I can guarantee you that SPLOST has made a huge difference for public safety in this county,” Dyer said before explaining that SPLOST helps with capital projects, or “big, high-dollar things that we have to spend money on that we don’t buy every year.” This includes buildings and vehicles.
SPLOST funds have benefited the Fire Department by covering the building of fire stations, but Dyer said that “the biggest thing” are fire trucks. Other costly fire equipment supplemented by SPLOST includes tankers, rescue trucks, turnout gear and additional firefighting necessities.
Meanwhile, the new E-911 Center is nearly complete, waiting only on some finishing touches for the building and new technology installations.
Of the $5 million budget for the new emergency call center, $3.8 million went to constructing a new building; Dyer said this was necessary, considering that, currently, Union County’s 911 dispatchers are utilizing a “failing” 80-year-old building with faulty plumbing and an unreliable fire system. The new equipment made up $1.2 million on its own and is described as being “the latest and greatest” when it comes to handling calls.
Like the fire chief, Sheriff Shawn Dyer said SPLOST renewal would benefit the Sheriff’s Office in multiple ways, including replacing outdated patrol vehicles – just one, fully outfitted with law enforcement equipment, costs $60,000.
On top of that, Dyer said the jail needs upgrades and will eventually need to be replaced, because the facility is “completely out of room” from Union County’s rapid growth, and these things would be much more feasible to accomplish with future SPLOST funds.
A recent expense arose suddenly when the automated gate for inmate intake stopped working outside the jail. Dyer couldn’t find anyone willing to repair it, so the gate had to be replaced.
“Just that gate was over $25,000, and it was going to be paid for by the SPLOST system,” Dyer said. “In my opinion, it is a fair tax. We will use it wisely, and it will be used just for the necessities that we need.”
Deputies also need safety equipment and new gear, especially since bulletproof vests expire every five years and are “very expensive.” Some SPLOST money will also go to courthouse security when needed; last year, the metal detector had to be replaced for a total of $80,000.
The Recreation Department was represented by Rec Director Susan Stalcup, who stated that “recreation is part of the lifeblood of this community” before listing off included programs and facilities like exercise initiatives, the Gun Range, hiking and walking trails, the Union County Farmers Market, Byron Herbert Reece Farm & Heritage Center and more.
That said, Stalcup noted that Union County “desperately” needs more ball fields because “we simply do not have enough space for our children that we are currently serving.” Additionally, children and adult programs are in continuous need of replacement equipment.
County Manager Tony Hughes delivered information on behalf of the Road Department, saying that a new transportation office is being built to replace the old building due to a lack of space; it will be paid for with SPLOST funds.
“We currently have 546.83 miles of county roads that the Road Department maintains,” Hughes said. “The county has 4,000 culverts to maintain with over 900 … (needing) attention pretty soon.”
And the Road Department is “in the process” of purchasing a rubber-tire backhoe that will have a three-man crew to work on culverts and ditch lines. Reiterating information from the Suches Town Hall, Hughes said approximately 48 bridges across the county need repair, with four “on target” right now.
Mayor Robert “Buddy” Moore detailed that the city spends its share of SPLOST collections on streets, sidewalks, infrastructure, facilities and storm drains.
SPLOST III, for example, resulted in a revenue of roughly $1.3 million, which ultimately went to a City Hall renovation, street and sidewalk improvements, and sewer equipment replacement. SPLOST IV aided Blairsville in administrative equipment improvements, including $80,000 in public safety equipment and vehicles, and Moore continued to share examples of past SPLOST projects within the city.
Resident Rob Mawyer acted as Q&A moderator when the floor opened for questions and commentary. Most community members who spoke up raised concerns with a lack of a detailed budget or project list for the upcoming SPLOST VI as well as information on past SPLOST spending being unavailable online.
Other attendees asked about the financial and legal breakdowns of SPLOST deposits. One commentator specifically raised concerns about the Union County Senior Center’s fire safety, HVAC system and other support. Another suggested that the county change how it handles SPLOST in the future by adopting more transparency and responsibility.
Some of the final pieces of commentary came from people in support of SPLOST, with one person declaring that county leadership was acting in the best interest of all residents.
Other attendees sought clarification on SPLOST details, such as voting frequency and where the money is sourced from.
The SPLOST VI continuation referendum will appear on ballots in the Nov. 3 General Election.
