One of the least discussed items on the Nov. 5 ballot could make a big difference for the day-to-day lives Jones County residents if it is approved.
That item is the question of approval of a Transportation Local Option Sales Tax for Jones County. Approval of the TSPLOST will amount to an additional penny tax for purchases in the county.
The funds raised from collection of the tax will be used to pave dirt roads and improve other transportation issues in the county and the City of Gray.
It is important to note that the one-cent tax would be paid by anyone who comes into Jones County and spends money, taking some of the burden off of property owners.
Without the TSPLOST, the source for the road funds would continue to be the county’s general fund.
The paving and repair of roads is by far the biggest request brought to Jones County Commissioners at their meetings, with many roads having been on the county’s road paving lists for more than a decade.
The reason it takes so long for roads to be paved is simple. It is the costs that continue to go up. The county’s portion of the money needed for paving, even with the funds allocated by the Georgia Department of Transportation each year, can easily amount to more than $1 million a mile.
The road paving list for Jones County contains more than 20 roads. Other items that can utilize TSPLOST funds are the repair and resurfacing of roads, sidewalks and the repair and/or replacement of bridges, which is another big-ticket item of concern.
Jones County Commissioners have pledged to use at least 30 percent of the collections for paving dirt roads.
If approved, the TSPLOST will be collected for six years. Jones County Administrator Jason Rizner said the TSPLOST is projected to raise more than $22 million.
The collections will be divided, with the City of Gray receiving 25 percent of the funds.
The question of the TSPLOST was readily supported by all Jones County Commissioners and members of Gray’s City Council, including the amount of the split.
In addition to the TSPLOST, voters will be asked the question of allowing package liquor sales in Jones County on the Nov. 5 ballot. Commissioners have also pledged to use the funds received from those liquor sales for road expenses.
Early voting in the Nov. 5 election begins Oct. 15 in the Elections Office located at the Government Center.
For more information about voting, call the elections office at 478-9863222. To view a sample ballot with the wording of the questions, go to mvp. sos.ga.gov.
