Dooly County commissioners set SPLOST referendum for March 6, 2012 primary

The Dooly County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously on Jan. 5 to place a SPLOST (special-purpose local option sales tax) referendum on the March 6, 2012 ballot, Administrator Stephen C. Sanders told the board.

The resolution, requested by Sanders and approved by the commission, schedules the countywide referendum to coincide with Georgia's presidential primary. Sanders told the board consolidating election dates reduces administrative costs and raises voter convenience.

Why it matters: If approved by voters, the 2013'2018 SPLOST would allow the county to levy a one-cent sales tax for capital projects and infrastructure approved by the commission and specified in the referendum language. The board voted for placement of the question but did not adopt spending specifics at the Jan. 5 meeting; those details are typically provided in follow-up public notices and project lists ahead of the vote.

The process and next steps: The resolution authorizes county staff to take the procedural steps needed to place the question on the March 6 ballot, including publishing required notices and coordinating with the local elections office. Administrator Sanders said the board'approved resolution will be filed with election officials so the question appears on the primary election ballot.

The board'approved vote was 5'0yes, with Commissioners Terrell Hudson, Harry Ward, Eugene Cason, Charles Anderson and David Barron recorded as present for the action.

The county did not set project allocations at the session; commissioners said project details and estimated revenues would be developed and published before the referendum so voters can review what projects an approved SPLOST would fund.