Mister Kingsbury, a county staff member presenting a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax update, told the DeKalb County Board of Commissioners on Oct. 21 that the combined final revenue and interest for SPLOST 1 totaled about $457,000,000 and that the state’s final remittance was about $418,000,000. "We've accrued $39,000,000 in interest," he said, calling the total a modest increase over earlier projections.

The presentation outlined progress on dozens of projects across the county and gave commissioners a status report on both SPLOST 1 and SPLOST 2. The update said SPLOST 1 funds are supporting resurfacing contracts (a recent low bid covers roughly 25 miles at about $16.5 million), Glenwood Road sidewalks and rights-of-way acquisitions, a short Snap Finger Road sidewalk and drainage improvement, design work for a Medlock sidewalk, and final work on two fire station projects that will be advertised for construction.

Why it matters: SPLOST is the county’s principal locally approved capital fund for transportation, parks, public safety and other infrastructure. The update shows more revenue than projected, but commissioners and staff repeatedly cautioned that inflation and rising construction input costs continue to constrain budgets and schedules.

Kingsbury said SPLOST 2 collections to date total about $112,000,000 including roughly $4,000,000 in interest. He said the board has approved more than $90 million in SPLOST 2 projects and that approximately $55 million of additional projects — primarily fire stations and resurfacing work — are in the pipeline for the next one to two years. Major projects under design on SPLOST 2 include a Volusia Sanders recreation center bidding package, Pleasantdale Park work, an intergenerational center at Bussey Park, Mason Mill Tennis Center renovations and a trail segment developed with the Path Foundation to link Medlock Park north toward the North DeKalb Mall/Market Square area.

Commissioners pressed for schedules and details. Commissioner Marita Davis Johnson asked whether the additional interest and revenue were covering inflationary costs; Kingsbury answered that the extra funds had in large part kept projects on scope and prevented cuts, but stressed that inflation has been highest in skilled labor, concrete, steel and fuel. "It really has," Kingsbury said in response to the question about covering inflationary cost.

Several commissioners asked about timing for particular projects. Kingsbury said Glenwood and Snap Finger sidewalk/ROW work could reach construction in early 2026 once right-of-way agreements are complete and permitting is finished. He said the county was about halfway through construction on the Cedar Grove bridge replacement over Norfolk Southern Railroad and expects an opening in 2026.

Commissioner Ted Terry emphasized using SPLOST 2 dollars for renewable energy where feasible, urging the county to pair solar with battery storage to produce operational savings. "We need to be doing solar and battery," Terry said, noting that energy savings could free recurring dollars for other uses. Kingsbury and staff said a solar RFP had been discussed and that funds earmarked in SPLOST 2 for renewable-energy-related match remained available.

The update included project-notes on parks and public-safety items: the county is finalizing paperwork to expand an animal shelter and said the certificate of occupancy was imminent; concession and restroom renovations have been carried out at many parks; and two new fire stations are proceeding to bid or final advertisement.

Several commissioners asked for continued and clearer public updates. Kingsbury and staff said they would circulate timing and bid schedules, confirm sidewalk and resurfacing priority lists, and follow up with commissioners on specific neighborhood projects. The board also discussed convening the SPLOST 2 residents’ review committee; staff said the committee lacked the necessary number of commissioner-appointed members to meet and asked commissioners to forward appointees so the committee can convene and prepare its required mid-program report.