Jones County commissioners discuss placing continuation SPLOST on November ballot, prioritize courthouse work

Jones County commissioners on June 3 discussed putting a continuation of the countys SPLOST (special-purpose local-option sales tax) on the November ballot and signaled a priority for courthouse repairs and completing recreation projects.

The discussion matters because the countys current SPLOST runs through mid-2027 and placing a continuation on the November ballot would allow the county to borrow against future revenue and start projects sooner. County staff told commissioners the timeline for a November referendum is condensed and requires city-notification and meeting deadlines this summer.

Staff presented timing and revenue estimates and asked commissioners for guidance on which projects to include in a potential referendum. The county must deliver a written letter to the city and hold a required meeting at least 10 days after the city receives that letter; staff said the written materials and a meeting date would need to be ready in June or early July to meet the roughly 90-day pre-election window for a November ballot. Commissioners were told staff will draft the letter to the city and identify a meeting date later in June.

County staff provided quick revenue and project figures for commissioners to consider. The current SPLOST had an original allocation that included $1 million for the courthouse, which was used for building-envelope work (leaks, windows and exterior coating). Staff said the current SPLOST produced higher collections than originally projected; using a higher projection and CPI adjustments, staffs high-end projection for a continuation totaled about $25,485,000, with an estimated surplus from the existing SPLOST on the order of several million dollars (staff characterized one estimate as roughly $5,000,000 in potential surplus to reallocate at the end of the current program). Commissioners were told some debt (notably on an industrial park) should be paid off in early 2027, freeing additional funds for future allocations.

On priorities, commissioners repeatedly identified the courthouse as a top need (safety, capacity and long-term space deficiencies). Commissioners also discussed finishing the countys recreation complex projects (including parking) and, more briefly, a splash pad for children. Several commissioners cautioned against placing both the continuation SPLOST and a transportation SPLOST (T-SPLOST) on the same ballot; one commissioner said putting two separate sales-tax referendums on the same ballot would be difficult for voters and risk both measures' success. Commissioners agreed that if the county proceeds this year, it should prioritize the continuation of the current SPLOST rather than adding a second, separate tax proposal at the same time.

Staff also described an exercise to refresh an earlier 2018/2019 space-needs study: departments previously surveyed (including the district attorneys office, public defenders office, tax assessor and tax commissioner) will be asked to confirm or update their needs so an architect can produce a new conceptual plan and updated square-footage estimate for courthouse work.

No formal motion or vote to place a referendum on the ballot was taken at the work session. The boards next procedural step, as stated by staff, is that staff will draft the letter to the city, identify a meeting date later in June, and begin negotiations with the city; the county must then observe the 10-day notice requirement before holding the meeting and meet statutory deadlines for placing a referendum on the November ballot.