EDITORIAL: Is now the time to talk about a regional T-SPLOST?

After the state had its way in trying to add an additional tax to fund transportation projects that ended in disaster, there are initial meetings to be held to see if Macon-Bibb County and its 10 regional partners would be willing to face voters again. Hope springs eternal.

In 2012, the vote on the transportation special purpose local option sales tax wasn't even close (it only passed in three of the 12 regional districts in the state). And while the 11-county region includes Macon-Bibb, Houston, Peach, Crawford, Jones, Baldwin, Wilkinson, Pulaski, Putnam, Monroe and Twiggs, in reality, only two of those counties count when it comes to a vote — Macon-Bibb and Houston. Last go-round the measure lost 56-44 percent, but in Houston County, the measure lost 73-27 percent. When the counties were polled this time to see if there was any interest, four were against it, Houston, Putnam, Monroe and Twiggs. The Middle Georgia Regional Commission is organizing the meetings but not advocating any position.

Why would some of the counties be against another tax? There are several reasons. Houston County already has paid for its transportation upgrades out of pocket and also believe raising its sales tax to 8 cents on the dollar — even if all the counties around it are at the same level — would make them less competitive. Macon-Bibb would like to see the tax to primarily pay for the runway extension at the Middle Georgia Regional Airport. And while the extension could bring good-paying jobs to the entire region and create a freight hub and enlarge the aircraft maintenance facilities, Macon-Bibb cannot afford to complete the multi-million dollar project without additional revenues.

There also are roadblocks the state has set in place. Last year's General Assembly passed a transportation tax increase that is costing Georgia residents and others almost $1 billion annually. Unfortunately, most of that money probably will not see the hinterlands outside Interstate 285. And, while no time is ever a good time to talk about a tax increase, voters are in a particularly surly mood of late and that fever will not break anytime soon.

There will be another meeting in January, and while there were about 20 officials from various cities and counties, including Houston County Chairman Tommy Stalnaker, at the regional offices in Macon, none of the Macon-Bibb officials attended. They may have been sending a subtle hint, that if this new effort is to be, it will have to come from someplace other than Macon-Bibb County.

This story was originally published December 12, 2015 at 5:45 PM with the headline "EDITORIAL: Is now the time to talk about a regional T-SPLOST? ."