City council members met for a work session before their monthly business meeting to discuss city projects for the next renewal of the Special Local Option Sales Tax and related negotiations with the Board of Commissioners.
Finance Committee Chairman Councilman Terrell Fulford called the July 7 meeting to order and referred the June 30 meeting with the county. He said roads was one of the primary topics for the use of the funds.
The meeting was a chance for council members come up with a plan for the July 14 joint meeting with the county.
County Attorney John Newberry explained that projected collections for the 2021 SPLOST was $14 million, but collections had been higher. The city’s portion of that SPLOST so far is $2.4 million.
“If that trend holds, the city could receive $4 million in the next SPLOST,” he said.
Mayor Pro Tem James Collins said looking at city/county splits for SPLOST collections across the state, he feels the more productive move is to not argue about the percentages but ask for help with roads.
“Let’s look at projects where we all work together,” he said.
Mayor Ed Barbee said talking about working with the Georgia Department of Transportation is all speculation until the July 21 meeting.
“The city needs to ask for a higher percentage to make sure we have the money in hand,” he said. “We are already in a collaboration with the county to some extent because we all pay county taxes.”
Collins stated he believes the city is treated well by the commissioners.
“They hold all the cards,” he said.
Collins was referring to the fact that, without an intergovernmental agreement with the county, the city would only be entitled to 11 percent of SPLOST collections. That figure is based on population numbers.
Newberry noted that the benefit to the county to have an agreement is the SPLOST can continue for six years instead of five without it.
Gray Police Chief Adam Lowe said his idea is not to argue about a higher percentage but to lobby for an agreed percentage off the top of total collections to be used for joint projects.
“I’m not sure they would go for it, but it’s worth asking. These roads are going to have to be paved,” he said.
City Superintendent Cheyenne Morgan said it was to the advantage of both city and county to bid those road projects together.
Lowe said East and West Clinton Streets were by far the worst. He said the road from the railroad tracks to Bill Conn Jr. Parkway had not been paved since 2006.
“The GDOT might help us some, but it will be a one-time shot,” the chief said.
Council members had a list of possible projects for the SPLOST funds, including water and sewer improvements, street improvement and public works equipment, totaling approximately $8.5 million. Lowe added that patrol cars would cost $960,000.
Main Street Director Ashley Roberson said there were also some downtown projects that needed funds.
