Liberty County presenter outlines $76 million transportation plan tied to T-SPLOST renewal

A county presenter on Thursday outlined a proposed renewal of Liberty County’s Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, known as T‑SPLOST, that would extend a 1% sales tax for six years and is estimated to raise $76,000,000 for transportation projects if approved by voters.

The presenter said the renewal, called T‑SPLOST 2, "is a 6 year tax" and "is the renewal of an existing tax and not a new tax." He said the new tax would take effect Oct. 1, 2025 if approved and that the referendum must appear on the November ballot to allow the county to borrow against the revenue if it chooses.

Why it matters: The presenter said the tax revenue would be limited to transportation purposes — roads and bridges, sidewalks and bicycle paths, right‑of‑way acquisition, utility relocation, drainage work and roadway patching, milling and widening — and that state law requires 30% of proceeds be set aside for mandatory off‑the‑top projects the jurisdictions select together.

Key projects described in the presentation include phased widenings on Charles Fraser Boulevard (South/Main Street) and later extensions toward Casey Drive; signal additions on the EG Miles corridor near Pineland Avenue and Griffin Park; a proposed signal at Shaw Road; a four‑lane corridor project at Exit 76 and seed funding to pursue federal grants for expanding a two‑lane bridge there; a roundabout by the Hounsell Public Works facility; a realignment of Wallace Martin Drive to tie into Flemington Boulevard near planned Publix and Chick‑fil‑A locations; and circulation changes to move traffic from Patriot’s Trail to a roundabout near Walmart ahead of a planned median installation on Highway 84.

The presenter also outlined smaller but targeted projects: a turnout lane at the National Guard armory in Stafford Park, roadway rejuvenation at James Brown Park, a Midway corridor enhancement that would add sidewalks on Butler Avenue, a mill‑and‑overlay project on Interstate Road serving the paper mill (D S Smith), conceptual planning for a Hounslow Bypass phase 2, and repairs to Bacon Town Road and Rogers Pasture Road that support county public‑works and transfer‑station traffic. He noted an Allenhurst sidewalk gap would be filled as part of the plan.

On ballot mechanics and borrowing, the presenter said the local referendum will appear last on voters’ ballots and quoted the likely ballot question as asking whether the 1% sales tax should continue for six more years to generate an estimated $76,000,000 for transportation purposes. He warned that jurisdictions are not required to issue debt but that if the ballot does not include authority to issue debt, they cannot borrow for these projects during the tax period.

The presenter urged public participation, noting some live outreach meetings were canceled because of Hurricane Helene, and said, "Early voting does start next week," encouraging voters to use early voting. He closed by repeating that this is a renewal, not a new tax, and by arguing that relying solely on property taxes would limit the county’s ability to match state and federal funds for major projects.

Next steps: The presenter said the measure will appear on the November ballot; if voters approve it, the county may proceed with project planning and can opt to issue debt to fast‑start work. The presenter invited questions and directed listeners to county information channels for updates.