Savannah City Council talks up second attempt at transportation sales-tax vote (Atlanta: hotels, attorney)

[Airforceguy]

While I'm glad to see the city trying to get a second TSPLOST started, its unfortunate to see the county commission chairman not even willing to talk about it. Considering the fact that the Savannah area is one of few areas of the state outside of Atlanta that is growing, the area needs to address the issues facing the road system. Also with two hurricanes hitting the area recently, Chatham county needs better east-west cross county connections.

The mayor and aldermen directed staff on Oct. 26 to send a letter to Chatham County expressing their interest in pursuing another Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax.

“I think we desperately need this,” Savannah Alderman Julian Miller said during the workshop. “We have so many roads and streets that are so unbecoming.”

The Chatham County Commission must call a formal meeting and invite all of Chatham’s municipalities to start the process before a referendum can be held. The city council decided to encourage the county to move forward in response to a letter the Coastal Regional Commission of Georgia recently sent to the state’s counties to gauge their interest in TSPLOST.

Legislation passed since the 2012 referendum now allows for single-county TSPLOSTS of up to 1 percent on sales, rather than requiring the tax be raised and spent in multi-county regions. That change could increase the likelihood of a second referendum passing since many local voters were opposed to funds raised in Chatham going toward projects in other counties, said City Attorney Brooks Stillwell.

“I think the regional thing really harmed the vote,” Stillwell said.

But Mayor Eddie DeLoach said he does not want to rule out a regional tax since many projects cross county lines and fund a “road to nowhere” that stops at Chatham’s boundaries. DeLoach cited economic development as another reason for a potential multi-county collaboration.

Savannah City Council talks up second attempt at transportation sales-tax vote | SavannahNow

[SavannahLife]

Good. Al seems like a decent commissioner. They'd waste it on silly frufru projects. Glad to hear responsible decisions now and again.

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by SavannahLife

Good. Al seems like a decent commissioner. They'd waste it on silly frufru projects. Glad to hear responsible decisions now and again.

[bellhead]

People are not going to pay a 8% sales tax, Al kows this.

[SavannahLife]

Right. Sales taxes are a tax on the middle and working class. How about the hotels pay more fair share first. It's economics. Locals will buy less, I bet, with higher sales tax. But a few extra bucks won't affect tourists behavior. Do them first. Or other deep pockets ie large industrial, the port, etc. For example, those trucks weigh a lot more. They wear out the road more. So more tax on the port could make sense. Anyway, the city doesn't seem to have a good record on managing projects and money. So yeah, I think he's right. Sure inevitably more road work is needed Newsboy but I'm not sold on tsplost as the right thing for it, you know?

[Newsboy]

Originally Posted by SavannahLife

Right. Sales taxes are a tax on the middle and working class. How about the hotels pay more fair share first. It's economics. Locals will buy less, I bet, with higher sales tax. But a few extra bucks won't affect tourists behavior. Do them first. Or other deep pockets ie large industrial, the port, etc. For example, those trucks weigh a lot more. They wear out the road more. So more tax on the port could make sense. Anyway, the city doesn't seem to have a good record on managing projects and money. So yeah, I think he's right. Sure inevitably more road work is needed Newsboy but I'm not sold on tsplost as the right thing for it, you know?

[843904]

TSPLOST failed spectacularly the last time it was up for a vote. Here's to it failing again!

[bellhead]

Originally Posted by 843904

TSPLOST failed spectacularly the last time it was up for a vote. Here's to it failing again!

It was funny the last TSPLOST had about 1.2 billion going to building infrastructure for the port and about $8 million for the city.

Some of the highlights were building flyovers for all of the rail intersections on US 21, redoing the interchanges on 95, and 6 laning I-16.

Living in the city of Savannah none of this is important enough to me to pay an extra $300 per year in taxes.

None of this money was for repaving roads, adding sidewalks, and general road infrastructure updates, it was a wish list by the trucking industry.

[WanderingImport]

Originally Posted by bellhead

It was funny the last TSPLOST had about 1.2 billion going to building infrastructure for the port and about $8 million for the city.

Some of the highlights were building flyovers for all of the rail intersections on US 21, redoing the interchanges on 95, and 6 laning I-16.

Living in the city of Savannah none of this is important enough to me to pay an extra $300 per year in taxes.

None of this money was for repaving roads, adding sidewalks, and general road infrastructure updates, it was a wish list by the trucking industry.

If it's good for the port, it's good for Savannah.

Granted, there are quite a few roads in town that seriously need to be resurfaced.

I also recall there being money in there to build a bridge for that stupid train on President Street.

[bellhead]

Here is a list of the 2012 projects.

Chatham County TSPLOST Projects slated are: Chatham Area Transit Operations; Chatham Area Transit Capital; Project DeRenne, which would relieve traffic and improve the streetscape and intersections along DeRenne Avenue; Widen I-16 from I-95 to I-516; improvements to East President Street Extension, creating a bridge over the railroad tracks that cross President near the Truman Parkway; remove the I-16 flyover into downtown; widen West Bay Street from I-516 to the Bay Street Viaduct; replace the Montgomery Cross Road Bridge over the Casey Canal; make bicycle and sidewalk improvements to W. 52nd Street from Montgomery Street to Ogeechee Road; Islands Expressway Bascule Bridge Replacement at Wilmington River; Johnny Mercer Blvd. Causeway Bicycle-Pedestrian Improvements; Regional Park and Ride Lots; New Interchange Construction at King George Blvd.; State Route 21 Grade Seperation at CSXT Rail; State Route 25 Grade Seperation at Norfolk Southern and CSXT Rail Crossings; US 80 at Bull River Bridge Reconstruction; and US 80 at Lazaretto Creek Bridge Reconstruction.