TRANSPORTATION
Jones County Commissioners followed through with last month’s vote to begin the process for placing a referendum for a Single-County Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax on the ballot in November.
The commissioners took the next step of holding a meeting with the City of Gray Feb. 12 to discuss an intergovernmental agreement for the distribution of the sales tax funds and seemed to have a receptive audience.
Board Chairman Chris Weidner called the meeting to order and welcomed city council members.
Commissioners in attendance were Sam Kitchens, John Wood and Wendy Vaughn. Mayor Pro Tem James Collins and Councilmen David Tufts and Terrell Fulford represented the city.
County Attorney Ashley Brodie and City Attorney John Newberry were also in attendance.
County Administrator Jason Rizner started with a possible timeline for the TSPLOST. The timeline allows two months for the entities to negotiate the intergovernmental agreement and to develop and refine a list of transportation projects and the cost of the projects.
Rizner said the projects also need to be prioritized. He said he hoped the intergovernmental agreement could be approved at the board’s April 2 meeting and the resolution calling for the TSPLOST referendum at the next meeting.
After that occurs, the resolution is sent to the Elections Superintendent, who sends notification to the Secretary of State. The administrator said the deadline for that notice is Aug. 5.
Rizner said the term of the TSPLOST would be five years, and if approved by voters, collections would start April 1, 2025. He said an estimate of the collections was $17 million, and it was up to the commissioners and councilmen to decide how to split the tax.
Weidner went over a few project ideas, including road paving, a roundabout at Bill Conn Parkway and Cumslo Road and completion of sidewalks on Bill Conn Parkway.
Collins said the city is now responsibile for the downtown intersection and roads, which means the city definitely has the projects. He added that the sidewalk project for the Bill Conn Parkway would benefit both the city and the county.
“We need to discuss it and look at the numbers,” he said.
Commissioners and councilmen agreed to work on a list of projects and costs and come back soon for another meeting to work toward an intergovernmental agreement.
