Macon-Bibb aims to have SPLOST project list ready by late June

Macon-Bibb County commissioners said Tuesday they hope to approve by June 21 a list of projects that would be paid for with a new penny sales tax.

As commissioners contemplate the projects they want included, some are wondering how broad the wording could be on the referendum, tentatively to be put before voters in November.

Specific referendum language would tie the county to specific projects to be paid for with the special purpose local option sales tax. But broader language would give county leaders more leeway in how the money is spent.

"One thing that could spark debate is how specific you want to get on the ballot," Clint Mueller, legislative director for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia, said during a meeting Tuesday with Macon-Bibb commissioners.

SPLOST projects must be used on capital improvements, although changes in law provide more flexibility in how that money is spent, he said.

Since the changes, SPLOST money that was budgeted for capital road projects, for example, can now be used for patching potholes as well, which was previously not allowed. Mueller also said SPLOST lists can identify specific road improvements and later use any leftover money from those projects for other roads.

The current $180 million SPLOST, which the former city of Macon and former Bibb County government began collecting in April 2012, has been used to pay for various Macon-Bibb projects, including roadwork, recreation centers and the construction of fire stations, an animal shelter, a senior citizens center and a juvenile justice center.

A point of contention for some commissioners is whether the county can get all the projects from the current SPLOST finished with the remaining money. The county is rebidding construction of the Sub-South Recreation Center after bids came in $3 million more than the $8 million budgeted for the project's first phase.

"We need to know what's feasible that can be done now and what needs to be carried over for this new SPLOST," Commissioner Elaine Lucas said.

At Tuesday's meeting, commissioners created categories -- among them public safety, recreation and community development -- that new SPLOST projects could fall under. On April 12, county officials will discuss the projects they'd like to see considered.

SPLOST community forums also will be an important part of the process, Macon-Bibb officials said.

"I think instead of us getting a list and trying to sell it, we would have a proposed list and take it out for public input," Mayor Robert Reichert said.

Some communities have formed advisory committees to help shape their SPLOST list, according to the ACCG.

"That way, when it comes time to educate the public on projects, you can come back and say, 'This wasn't done in a vacuum,''' Mueller said.

Commissioners have said they'd like to see the next SPLOST include money for the second phase of recreation centers, stormwater improvements, blight and for facilities such as the City Auditorium, where the county estimates $15 million of renovations are needed.

Commissioner Gary Bechtel said the county will have to determine how to use blight money from a new SPLOST. Some commissioners have said they want tens of millions of dollars dedicated to fighting blight.

"Does that mean 'in rem' foreclosures? Does that mean tearing down uninhabitable structures? Or redevelopment?" Bechtel said. The so-called in rem foreclosures give a debtor 60 days to reclaim a property that the county is trying to acquire for demolition or redevelopment.

Another aspect that commissioners must consider when planning for the SPLOST is whether the focus of the tax is to provide relief to the Macon-Bibb general fund budget.

"Is it about creating new projects where there will be new and ongoing maintenance costs?" asked Dave Wills, ACCG government relations manager.

To contact writer Stanley Dunlap, call 744-4623 or find him on Twitter@stan_telegraph.

This story was originally published March 29, 2016 at 9:06 PM with the headline "Macon-Bibb aims to have SPLOST project list ready by late June ."