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Published Sunday, January 29, 2012 in Local

Both Senoia and Grantville see importance of SPLOST

By Sarah Fay Campbell

The Newnan Times-Herald

Senoia Mayor Robert Belisle minced no words in describing the importance of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax to his city.

"If you want the city to stand still and see nothing, I mean nothing, happen, don't pass the SPLOST," Belisle said. Because without that funding stream, "we simply go into maintenance mode, and it's going to be difficult to simply do maintenance mode. If you want any capital improvements at all, the SPLOST has to pass. And that includes the public safety issues. If you want any more roads paved, if you want anything like that, the SPLOST has to pass.

"It is critical from the city's standpoint as far as basic infrastructure."

The situation is much the same in Grantville.

"SPLOST gets a lot of things done without using property tax dollars," said Grantville Mayor Jim Sells. And a lot of the sales tax is paid by people who shop in Coweta but don't live here, Sells said.

"We're dealing with very limited funds, especially as property values decrease, and we have been able to maintain our millage rate without raising it. And SPLOST helps us do that," Sells said.

Previous SPLOSTs have done a lot for the community. Two of the most obvious benefits are Grantville's new library and the new recreation fields. "The reason we have them is SPLOST dollars," Sells said.

Senoia's leaders plan to install early warning storm sirens with SPLOST money. Also on tap are recreation improvements, including the expansion of the multi-use trail, the remodeling of city hall, intersection improvements and sidewalks, road maintenance, stormwater management work, and public works equipment.

The recreation improvements will be drawn from the city's Parks and Recreation Master Plan, and the transportation projects will be drawn from the Transportation Improvement Plan, said Senoia City Administrator Richard Ferry.

SPLOST dollars often end up being used as matching funds for grants and/or state and federally-funded projects. "Senoia uses a significant amount of SPLOST money to meet the local match for state and federal grants in both recreation and transportation," said Ferry. Having that kind of money "allows small cities like Senoia to complete projects," he said.

For Grantville, "the most important thing on that list is our road improvements," said Sells. "It's something everybody uses, and it's vital that we make the repairs and improvements necessary. And we just don't have the funds without SPLOST."

Recreation funding is also important to provide amenities for Grantville residents. "We'd sure like to see an indoor basketball gym," Sells said. "SPLOST dollars will do a lot for us in recreation. And we need those [projects] for the children in the community and also senior citizens."

Some $444,000 is allocated for city hall, facility, and equipment improvements.

"Our city hall is an old building," Sells said. "We need to be thinking about a lot of money for repairs or even construction of a new city hall," he said. "One of those two things is going to have to happen. We're not going to be able to maintain what we are doing without spending a lot of money one way or the other."

Grantville is also allocating $674,000 for utility infrastructure and equipment improvements, and $243,000 for public safety facilities and equipment.

"We've got things in place that are really going to help us move forward," Sells said. "I'm excited about the future in Grantville. It was hard work to get where we are. Now, we're set up to do some things and SPLOST is going to help us do them."

• • •

SENOIA SPLOST LIST

• Early Warning Siren System, $200,000

• City Hall Facilities, $120,000

• Parks and Recreation, $1,250,000

1. Multi-use trail expansion.

2. Park improvements from master plan

• Transportation Improvements, $1,250,000

1. Sidewalks

2. Maintenance

3. Intersection improvements

• Public Works, $300,000

1. Stormwater management

2. Equipment

City Total: $3,120,000

• • •

GRANTVILLE SPLOST LIST

• Road and Street Improvements, $1,118,520

• City Building, Facility, and Equipment Improvements, $444,540

• Park, Recreation, and Cultural Facility Improvements, $386,800

• Utility Infrastructure and Equipment Improvements, $674,360

• Public Safety Facilities and Equipment, $243,780.

City Total: $2,868,600

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