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City manager outlines TSPLOST 1 and 2 shortfalls and proposes reallocating funds to road resurfacing
Summary
City staff told the City of South Fulton council that rising construction costs and conservative revenue projections have left combined funding gaps in the TSPLOST 1 and 2 transportation programs and recommended reprogramming several projects’ timing to prioritize resurfacing and keep projects viable.
Assistant City Manager Mark Anthony Cooper and City Manager Sharon Subadan presented a status update and proposed reallocation strategy for the city’s Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax programs (TSPLOST 1 and 2).
Cooper said the original TSPLOST 1 program — approved in 2016 — carried a 2016 cost estimate of roughly $94.4 million; updated projections and higher construction costs mean the city now forecasts more than $100 million is required to finish all commitments. Staff reported revenues collected to date and projected interest bring the projected funds for TSPLOST 1 to approximately $91 million, leaving a forecast shortfall of about $8.4 million.
For TSPLOST 2 (approved in 2021) staff presented a separate analysis showing committed project spending of approximately $40.5 million and forecasted total costs near $110 million. Based on revenues and conservative interest estimates, staff said TSPLOST 2 faces an estimated shortfall of about $1.7 million under current assumptions.
Subadan told the council staff is not proposing to delete projects. Instead, staff recommended several timing and allocation changes to close TSPLOST 1 and 2 funding gaps while keeping as many projects as possible on track. Major elements of the proposal included:
- Transfer $1 million from the traffic camera fund to complete certain roundabout projects identified as traffic‑calming priorities. - Move the Enon Road–Stonewall Trail roundabout from TSPLOST 1 to TSPLOST 2 to better align with available funding. - Defer the Butner Road/West Stubbs Road intersection improvement (a roughly $4.5 million project) — continuing engineering, community engagement and any necessary land acquisition, but delaying construction to a later funding cycle because the project requires complex work and is unlikely to be ready to construct within the current TSPLOST 1 time frame. - Reallocate roughly $19.2 million of TSPLOST 2 funds toward a multi‑year resurfacing program, which would address high‑priority corridors and complete subdivisions left partially paved in prior cycles. - Defer four sidewalk projects that require acquiring about 239 parcels of right‑of‑way; staff said design and acquisition work will continue but construction is unlikely within the remaining TSPLOST 2 time window.
Subadan explained the rationale: pavement continues to deteriorate and delaying resurfacing can increase future costs significantly, and some sidewalk projects simply cannot reach construction readiness in time because of extensive land acquisition requirements. She recommended the council consider the adjustments at two May meetings to avoid missing the 2025 paving season.
Council members asked for additional detail on right‑of‑way status and on how national tariff or materials‑cost spikes might affect the budget. Subadan said staff included standard contingencies but had not modeled a 245 percent tariff scenario; she recommended modeling by extracting imported‑materials cost components once bids come in.
Ending: Subadan said the presentation was informational and not for formal vote. She recommended council review the detailed memo and project spreadsheets staff provided, and consider amendments during the May meeting cycle so the city can preserve paving season and keep projects moving without eliminating program commitments.
