Athens-Clarke commissioners to consider laying groundwork for local transportation project levy (Oconee: sales, city hall)

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At the 7 p.m. Tuesday meeting at City Hall where they will set the agenda for their Oct. 4 voting meeting, commissioners will be asked to consider a formal set of goals and project selection criteria for a 1 percent Transportation Special-Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) that, if OK’d by voters, would boost the local sales tax to 8 percent for the five-year life of the transportation levy.
Among the goals suggested by county management for the program are promoting the use of alternative transportation including increased usage of Athens Transit, maintaining or improving air quality, and reducing both vehicle miles traveled and traffic congestion.
With regard to implementation of specific projects with TSPLOST revenue, the county management guidance suggests catching up on lagging repaving of local roads, working to further establish a network of greenway multiple-use trails along the North Oconee and Middle Oconee rivers, and continuing with bicycle and pedestrian improvements in the downtown Athens area.
It’s possible, according to a plan set for review tonight by the commission, and a presentation made to commissioners at last week’s work session, that some of the transportation work contemplated in TSPLOST planning could be funded with the issuance of bonds that would be paid back with transportation tax proceeds. Funding the projects with bonds would allow them to get started more quickly than would be the case with waiting for tax proceeds.

If approved by voters in a November 2017 referendum, TSPLOST collections wouldn’t begin until April 1, 2018.
Central to laying the groundwork for a TSPLOST referendum will be the appointment of a Citizens Advisory Committee. In the proposal set for review Tuesday evening by commissioners, county management is proposing the creation of a committee selected by Mayor Nancy Denson from potential appointees selected by her and each of the commission’s 10 members. The county proposal calls for the mayor and each commissioner to suggest two appointees.

Athens-Clarke commissioners to consider laying groundwork for local transportation project levy | Online Athens