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DeKalb officials report SPLOST 1 receipts, outline SPLOST 2 priorities and oversight changes
Summary
County officials told the April 1 Committee of the Whole that SPLOST 1 collections exceeded initial projections, that SPLOST 2's budget includes new categories and a $15 million allocation for a mental-health facility, and that the board will revise the resident oversight committee and report SPLOST updates quarterly.
DeKalb County officials on April 1 told the Committee of the Whole that final SPLOST 1 receipts exceeded earlier projections, that SPLOST 2 includes new spending categories, and that the county will revise the SPLOST resident oversight group and provide regular public reporting.
Zach Kingsbury, presenting on behalf of the SPLOST team, said final SPLOST 1 collections reached $418,000,000 and that interest on those funds totaled about $32,000,000, bringing the current SPLOST 1 balance to about $450,000,000. "All total in the bank, $450,000,000 is the current number for SPLOST 1," Kingsbury said.
Kingsbury said SPLOST 1 accomplished many upgrades countywide, including resurfacing contracts (the program's goal is about 300 miles of resurfacing), park improvements such as fields and restrooms, and capital work at libraries and other facilities. He said the county achieved roughly 30.5% participation by local small business enterprises (LSBEs) on SPLOST contracts.
SPLOST 2 features the same six-year, pay-as-you-go structure and largely similar category priorities, Kingsbury and COO Williams said. New elements in SPLOST 2 include an intergenerational facility line (parks and recreation) and five "special capital" categories that can fund water and sewer, physical and mental health facilities, renewable energy projects and other infrastructure. Kingsbury said the board has approved initial allocations totaling roughly $47 million for several projects, and that detailed reports and maps will be available to commissioners and the public through the SPLOST team's Teams portal and the county's SPLOST website.
On the mental-health item: Kingsbury said SPLOST 2 includes a $15,000,000 line in the "physical and mental health facilities" category that the board intends for a crisis center. He said none of that $15 million has yet been allocated to a specific project and that the county is seeking state and other funding to complete the project. "The money is there. We have not identified anything else for those funds," he said.
Oversight committee and reporting: Commissioners debated whether SPLOST 2 oversight and updates should be handled in the county Operations committee or in the Committee of the Whole. The board directed the administration to return to the Committee of the Whole with an amended resolution creating a SPLOST resident oversight advisory committee; COO Williams said he will present the amendment at the next meeting and that the board will receive SPLOST updates on a quarterly basis.
Questions from commissioners and staff follow-up
- Commissioner Robert Patrick and others asked about project timetables; Kingsbury and COO Williams said a public-facing map and a Teams portal will show project phases and allow residents to search by address.
- Commissioners raised concerns over pavement milling and granite curb elevations that have caused localized stormwater flow changes on some resurfaced streets. Kingsbury said curb resetting is sometimes cost-prohibitive ("The cost to reset the granite curbs can be anywhere from $20 to $30 a foot") and that stormwater funds or special project budgets can be used when reconstruction is necessary.
- Commissioner Nicole Messia (referred to in the meeting as "Commissioner Messiah") and others asked that the SPLOST team include commissioners or the oversight group in user testing of the updated public website. The administration agreed to provide logins and a Teams training session for commissioners and staff.
Why it matters: SPLOST funds are a major local revenue source for capital projects. How the county prioritizes and reports on those funds affects transportation, parks, public safety, and other county services.
Next steps: COO Williams and the SPLOST team will present the proposed amendment to the resident oversight advisory committee and provide quarterly public reports and a commissioner training session on accessing the SPLOST Teams portal; the administration will continue to seek state or other partners for additional funding for a crisis center.
Speakers quoted in this article are listed in the speaker roster below.
