Appling County commissioners review remaining 2018 SPLOST funds; seek estimates and legal opinion on bleachers

Appling County commissioners on Thursday reviewed remaining balances from the county’s 2018 special purpose local option sales tax, heard public comment from the Georgia Young Farmers organization about the tractor-pull site, and directed staff to obtain updated cost estimates and a legal opinion before committing remaining funds.

County staff told commissioners the roads-and-infrastructure portion of the 2018 SPLOST currently shows $3,866,885 remaining and that, after a final quarterly payment expected next month, the county anticipates about $4,100,000 to allocate. The staff estimate for completing two unfinished roads — Piney Bluff Road and Oldfield Cemetery Road (including Cray Road) — was reported at roughly $3,259,676 to $3,200,000, leaving several hundred thousand dollars for other items once final receipts are posted.

The discussion centered on whether that remaining money could cover: completion of the two roads; replacement of bleachers and a concession stand at the tractor-pull/track facility; construction or renovation of a county barn or road-department facility; and a proposed new ag-center concession/bleacher footprint. Commissioners also reviewed separate…