HOUSTON COUNTY, Ga. — Although there are no major elections in 2023, citizens will still vote on local special elections throughout Central Georgia including Houston County.
Houston County's SPLOST is divided between the county and its three cities: Centerville, Perry and Warner Robins.
The SPLOST is a "Special Purpose Local Options Sales Tax" that invests money generated from the city back into the city. Basically, a penny of everything you purchase with a sales tax goes back toward the county as an investment toward a special project. That can range from roads and recreation to development and debts.
When voters approved the SPLOST in 2018, the goal of the tax was to raise $145 million over six years.
The SPLOST question listed more than 40 items — specifically, where the money would go.
The five largest investments made with the 2018 SPLOST were transportation, public safety, recreation, general capital obligations and public buildings.
Investments toward improving the water & sewer systems, economic development and debt service were also made.
The largest investment was in transportation.
County leaders spent 26.2% of the SPLOST, or over $38 million, on transportation. Major roads, like Houston Lake, Thompson Mill and Wilson Drive were widened. It also paid for sidewalk construction in Perry as well as intersection improvements.
"Particularly your east-west connectors and north-south connectors," former chairman Tommy Stalnaker said.
Stalnaker was the commission chairman when the last SPLOST was passed. He said public safety has always been "Houston County's number one priority."
The second largest investment was made toward public safety, 20.6% of the SPLOST amounting to around $29.87 million.
Most of it went to putting mobile data terminals in all city and county law enforcement vehicles.
The county also purchased the latest investigative equipment for officers, spent more than a million dollars to improve the E-911 Center, build a police training building and on fire and rescue vehicles.
"There is a constant need in all of our police departments, and our sheriff's department and our fire departments across the board. They've got to refresh their equipment and vehicles consistently," Commissioner Dan Perdue said.
The county also spent 21.1% of the SPLOST, or $30.6 million on recreation projects.
That includes $18 million spent on the new Houston Sports Complex, the new $7 million swim center across Freedom Field.
The natatorium, or swim center, is near the end of construction and should open by the end of this year, according to Perdue.
One of the largest SPLOST investments went toward general capital obligations, basically maintenance and upkeep of existing properties, equipment, etc.
11.7% of the SPLOST, or over $17 million went toward new county vehicles and technology. It also replaced mechanical systems, lights and roofs.
Over $13.6 million, or 9.4% of the SPLOST, was invested in public buildings, including a $10 million courthouse addition, a new health department building, library improvements and renovating the state court building.
The expanded state court moved from the annex in Warner Robins to Perry near the jail.
6.4% of the SPLOST, or over $9.2 million, improved the water & sewer system. Additionally, $1 million of that money went toward an elevated storage tank.
4.5% of the SPLOST, or $ 6.55 million, went toward economic development. That includes airport buildings and infrastructure improvements, land acquisition and blight abatement.
The county used over $99,300, or 0.1% of the total SPLOST, to pay for maintenance and other debts.
Stalnaker says everybody benefits from the county, cities and voters working together.
"We have got to continue looking to the future. It is absolutely imperative that Houston County be able to maintain the ability, to have the SPLOST Program, to be able to build the capital intense projects," Stalnaker said.
On this year's ballot, Houston County voters will decide whether or not they want to approve the renewal the penny sales tax.
If it's passed, it will be the fifth SPLOST voters approved.
This year's election is Nov. 7.
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