Pickens County officials outline proposed 1¢ transportation sales tax at town hall

Pickens County leaders presented details of a proposed 1¢ transportation special purpose local option sales tax (T‑SPLOST) at a town hall hosted by the Pickens County Chamber of Commerce at Higgins County Junior High.

At the forum, Pickens County Chair Chris Stancel and a visiting Lumpkin County Chairman, Chris Dockery, described the T‑SPLOST as a voter-approved, dedicated 1¢ sales tax restricted to transportation needs — roads, bridges, sidewalks and related improvements — and emphasized it would be a referendum placed before voters. "A T Splos is basically a a special 1p sales tax that is 100% for transportation needs used exclusively for roads, bridges, sidewalk maintenance, and improvements that are related to roads," Stancel said.

Officials said the proposal aims to address long-term road maintenance needs. Pickens County officials noted the county maintains roughly 401 miles of roads, about 300 of which carry asphalt surfaces, and said the current funding pace funds about 10 miles of paving per year. "We're currently probably on about a 25 year cycle of replacement for being able to improve our roads just based on our current budget," Stancel said, adding that a T‑SPLOST would allow the county to accelerate resurfacing and smaller subdivision projects.

Dockery, who spoke about Lumpkin County’s experience, urged voters to consider the T‑SPLOST’s ability to leverage state and federal matching funds: "It's not the money that you're generating locally, it's the money that you can leverage from the state and federal government," he said, describing a Lumpkin intersection project that combined local T‑SPLOST funds with $750,000 in state funding for design and construction.

Panelists offered a revenue estimate while stressing it was preliminary. Officials described a working estimate that a 1¢ sales tax could generate roughly $10 million per year in the county area referenced by the panel, and said the county’s share under existing intergovernmental agreements would be slightly under 80% of that estimate; speakers qualified the figure as an estimate rather than a guarantee.

Residents at the meeting raised concerns about the timing of a sales-tax increase amid rising prices and the distribution of who pays. Jason Davis said higher grocery and fuel prices made the proposed increase untimely. Others asked whether large retailers had been consulted about register-price impacts; Dockery said his county did not see a measurable downturn when its rate moved from 7% to 8%.

Speakers also discussed accountability. Audience members asked for regular public updates on which roads would be fixed and how money would be spent; officials pointed to posted budgets and audits at pickensga.com and said they could provide monthly or quarterly reports on projects if the tax passes.

Panelists repeatedly framed the measure as a voter choice: Stancel reminded residents the referendum gives voters the final decision. Officials said the county was planning for both outcomes and noted that other state actions, including House Bill 581 and a floating homestead exemption on the same ballot cycle, could affect property‑tax dynamics.

The town hall included a question-and-answer period on funding sources such as the Local Maintenance and Improvement Grant (LMIG)/fuel tax, equipment needs, and specific projects named as likely candidates for T‑SPLOST funding, including a widening project on Camp Road near Highway 515 and replacement of failing water lines under Henderson Mountain to allow proper paving.

The meeting concluded with moderator reminders about early voting and a closing thanks to the panel. Officials repeatedly emphasized the referendum structure: voters will decide whether to approve the dedicated transportation sales tax.