Members of the East Ellijay City Council approved an intergovernmental agreement Tuesday, Feb. 4, that will be used for distribution of funds should a TSPLOST (Transportation Special Local Option Sales Tax) ballot item be passed by voters in the May 19 General Primary election.
Per the agreement, East Ellijay would receive 1.93 percent of total TSPLOST revenue over a period not to exceed five years. Also under the agreement, Ellijay would receive 5.72 percent and the county would receive the largest share of 92.35 percent.
The Ellijay City Council adopted the agreement at its January meeting and the county board of commissioners also did so last week.
Money garnered from the 1-percent special sales tax rate — equivalent to a penny per each dollar spent — must be used for such transportation improvement purposes as road, street and bridge projects.
Mayor Mack West noted that includes paving and repairing roads in the county and two cities.
“We already have (another) SPLOST. This one is in addition to that. We have only a 3-percent motel tax. A lot of (counties) have 4 or 5 percent or higher than that,” he added.
East Ellijay City Planner Mack Wood said the distribution of revenue collected from the special sales tax is determined by population, but the tax is paid by anyone who shops in counties that have it.
“Everybody that passes through your county that buys (something pays it). At one time, I read people from outside the county paid at least 35 percent of it, but I’m sure it’s gone up by now because of all the travel,” he added.