Latest news with #SPLOST8
Yahoo
15-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
City launches special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) 8 survey
SAVANNAH, Ga. (WSAV) – The City of Savannah has launched a new public survey to gather feedback from residents in preparation for a proposed Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) tax referendum, expected to appear on the ballot in November. The survey, available now by clicking here, aims to identify community priorities as City Council prepares a list of capital improvement projects to include in the proposed SPLOST referendum. Residents are asked to rank their highest to lowest priorities from a pool of six different areas of investment: Parks and Recreation, Community Development, Public Safety, Stormwater and Drainage Projects, Traffic and Transportation, and Municipal Investments. Additionally, residents can allocate a mock $100 budget across these categories to reflect how they would prioritize SPLOST 8 funding. On March 17, Chatham County issued a proposed timeline to local municipalities to prepare for the SPLOST 8 referendum. Municipalities must provide an approved, prioritized list of projects to Chatham County by May 23. The City's SPLOST 8 survey will remain open until May 16. Municipalities are scheduled to vote on an approved intergovernmental agreement (IGA) by July 16 that would outline the capital projects each municipality would fund through SPLOST 8. If the IGA is approved, the SPLOST referendum would move through the final stages of notification before being added to the ballot on November 4. SPLOST is a one percent county-wide sales tax approved by voters to fund capital outlay projects for local governments. Georgia law enacted the use of SPLOST in 1985 with the requirement of voter approval through a referendum. Since its inception, SPLOST 1-7 has generated nearly $700 million in funding for Savannah, and more than $1.5 billion county-wide. In Savannah, nearly 40% of sales taxes are paid by visitors. Municipalities are not allowed by law to balance the City's budget or to cover general operating or maintenance from SPLOST funds. Capital projects for the City funded by SPLOST have included newly paved streets, resurfaced roadways and new sidewalks, stormwater drainage infrastructure, renovations to City Hall, an extension to River Walk, traffic calming measures, new playgrounds, improved athletic fields, and upgraded or new community centers. Through SPLOST, Chatham County has utilized 73% of the funds for roadways and drainage but has also funded other important projects including the Savannah International Trade and Convention Center with now generates a recurring economic impact of more than $200 million in visitor spending. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
SPLOST Season: Chatham County begins push for eighth penny-sales-tax referendum this November
The push for a new Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax referendum has begun in Chatham County. County Manager Michael Kaigler sent a letter to city managers at each of Chatham's municipalities requesting a meeting on March 31 to plan a SPLOST 8 referendum. The letter indicates the county is aiming to have SPLOST on the ballot for the Nov. 4 election. Each of the county's municipalities will develop their own project list, which then are presented to the Chatham County Board of Commissioners. The commissioners ultimately approve the final, county-wide list. "I think this is my fourth SPLOST. It's delicate," said Savannah Mayor Van Johnson at a city council workshop on SPLOST planning. "It is where the administrative and the political come together. At the end of the day this has to be passed by the voters. ESPLOST: All is quiet on the voting front: 5.81% of Savannah-Chatham County voters pass ESPLOST SPLOST has had sweeping success in being approved by voters in Chatham County. The most recent SPLOST election, held in 2019 during other municipal elections such as city council, was approved with 67.58% of the vote. Kaigler's letter outlined key dates for new SPLOST planning. Municipalities are scheduled to provide approved-project lists to the county on May 23. The county is scheduled to approve its list and an intergovernmental agreement with municipalities on June 13, according to the letter's timeline. "The county sets the timeline for the vote and the referendum, and we understand it's a short timeline but we feel we'll be able to get the information (council) needs to have this discussion," said Savannah City Manager Jay Melder at the council workshop." The SPLOST is a penny sales tax devoted to capital projects around the county. Since the county's first SPLOST in 1985, the penny tax has pulled over $1.5 billion in revenue. As a sales tax, about 40% of the revenues are paid for by visitors. Key projects supported by SPLOST over the years include Enmarket Arena and Memorial Stadium. But the tax has also been critical in funding infrastructure such as roads or drainage, including improvements to Savannah's Springfield Canal. The SPLOST 8 process kicks off just a week after county voters approved an extended Education Special Local Option Sales Tax referendum. The ESPLOST is a penny sales tax funding education-related project. The March 18 vote was one day after St. Patrick's Day-- the day the county sent its letter to municipalities. The ESPLOST referendum was approved with 64% of the vote. Evan Lasseter is the city of Savannah and Chatham County government reporter for the Savannah Morning News. You can reach him at ELasseter@ This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: Savannah region begins planning on next SPLOST referendum
