Gwinnett Commissioners Call For Sales-Tax Vote

LAWRENCEVILLE, GA — Gwinnett commissioners on Tuesday officially called for a vote this fall to renew the county's special-purpose, local option sales tax.

The vote on the one-percent sales tax will be on the November 8 general election ballot.

The current SPLOST program ends in March.

The county and all 16 Gwinnett County cities have agreed to share proceeds from the tax, as they have since 2001.

The new program is projected to raise about $950 million over six years to be used for projects like transportation, public safety, parks and recreation, library relocations and renovatinos, civic center expansion, senior facilities, parking and cultural facilities.

City water and sewer improvements also could be paid for with the sales-tax money.

Gwinnett County government will receive almost 79 percent of the tax's proceeds, while the cities will divide about 21 percent.

The county commission has said that 65 percent of its share -- about $486 million -- would go to transportation projects, such as roads, bridges, streets and sidewalks.

The county also has agreed to set aside about $3.2 million for parks and recreation improvements.

"Transportation improvements continue to be our biggest need and local government leaders agreed that everyone who uses our roads should help pay the cost of improvements," board of commissioners Chairwoman Charlotte Nash said. "And as we have done in the past, the county will form another citizens committee soon to review and prioritize prospective transportation project categories."

Gwinnett voters have approved a nearly continuous series of SPLOST programs since 1985 that have raised more than $2.9 billion.

The current SPLOST, which ends on March 31, 2017, is expected to generate about $453 million, with more than half devoted to transportation projects and the rest going to public safety, parks, libraries, senior services, and city improvements.

Additional information about SPLOST can be found online at www.gwinnettSPLOST.com.