Milledgeville — A new local sales tax could help fix Baldwin County's pothole problems.
On Monday, the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners approved a transportation special purpose local option sales tax, or TSPLOST, dedicated to Baldwin County road maintenance.
"We’re excited that we can get this before the voters one more time," said Carlos Tobar, Baldwin County manager. "This is a local TSPLOST, not a regional TSPLOST, so obviously the focus is on our local needs – resurfacing our roads and our right of way maintenance and some of the equipment that we need to accomplish both of those two tasks."
The one-percent sales tax would generate an estimated $35 million towards Baldwin County road maintenance. Baldwin County and four others voted to approve a regional TSPLOST back in May, but it was voted down by six other counties. Now, Baldwin County voters will have the chance to approve a local TSPLOST in November's general election.
"The number one complaint I receive in this county is about potholes in the roads," Tobar said. "Now we do the best with the resources that we have, but the public is telling us, ‘We want more. We want these roads paved as soon as possible,’ so we’re gonna put it in front of the voters, let them decide."
As revenue stands now, Baldwin County can only afford to resurface about seven miles of road per year, but with help from the TSPLOST, that number could jump to 36 miles per year.
"That one-percent sales tax for the five-year period will basically buy the citizens 180 miles of road surfacing," Tobar said."
Tobar and the Baldwin County Board of Commissioners are considering other options should the TSPLOST not be approved, but Tobar said this is definitely the fairest option in his eyes. An increase in property taxes or grant funding are other options.
"I don’t think the voters would be appreciative of that effort, so I think the sales tax is a little fairer, that way everybody gets to pay, everybody gets to shoulder the burden."
Of the projected $35 million, $12.25 million would go specifically toward the city of Milledgeville's road maintenance.