Macon-Bibb says next SPLOST may reach $240 million

In 2011, the last time officials pushed for a new sales tax referendum in Macon, the total amount of the tax was $190 million. This time around, they want up to $240 million.

The Macon-Bibb County Commission agreed Tuesday to seek public support for a $50 million increase in funding for special purpose local option sales tax projects. County officials are aiming to have the SPLOST referendum on the Nov. 8 general election ballot.

The current SPLOST, which expires in April 2018, had a limit of six years and a cap of $190 million.

The first community SPLOST meeting will take place May 12 at the Macon Mall at 6 p.m.

“The voters are the ones who will be approving this, so there has got to be something for everybody,” Commissioner Larry Schlesinger said. “We shouldn’t lose sight of the fact that we’re not the decision makers.”

The County Commission outlined nine types of projects Tuesday they consider “must do” for a future SPLOST. They include money for blight, debt, public safety, economic development, roads, landfill closure and courthouse improvements.

Also on the list was the completion of various recreation projects and upgrades to the stormwater system. The previous SPLOST had about $39 million dedicated to recreation facilities, and county officials had pledged to complete the second phases of various projects with the next SPLOST.

County officials have yet to decide how much money will be dedicated to each project, although a preliminary list of the “priority” projects had an estimated cost of $348 million.

Health Department targets teen pregnancy

The Macon-Bibb County Health Department is increasing its focus on teen pregnancy.

Health Department Administrator Nancy White told commissioners Tuesday that the department is looking to open a teen health clinic that would provide a place for education and other resources such as HIV and STD testing. The clinic would be modeled on similar ones in Athens-Clarke County, where officials there have been able to drastically reduce teenage pregnancy, White said.

The teenage pregnancy rate in Macon-Bibb is higher than the state and national averages. In 2013, 45.2 of every 1,000 births in Bibb County involved teenage mothers. Statewide that figure was 30.03 births, and nationally it was 26.5 births per 1,000, White said.

“We want to establish a presence within the community,” she said during the commission’s Economic and Community Development Committee meeting.

Bass, Sardis Church roads funding approved

The Operations and Finance Committee approved funding designs for changes on Bass and Sardis Church roads.

The committee agreed Tuesday to spend $228,000 on designs for widening Bass Road, extending from Riverside Drive to Zebulon Road. Also, another $111,000 resolution approved Tuesday is for design and engineering concepts for an extension of Sardis Church Road.

Reichert said the design work along Bass Road may help persuade the state to cover the costs for the widening.

Both resolutions will go before the full County Commission next week.

This story was originally published April 26, 2016 at 7:15 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb says next SPLOST may reach $240 million."