Gilmer County voters will see a TSPLOST question on the ballot in May.
Commissioners voted unanimously to approve the details of the TSPLOST, short for Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, at a special meeting Feb. 6.
The official question which will appear in the ballot is:
Shall a special 1 percent sales and use tax be imposed in the special district consisting of Gilmer County for a period of time not to exceed five years and for the raising of not more than an estimated amount of $25,000,000 for transportation purposes?
Gilmer County Board of Commissioners Chair Charlie Paris estimates the TSPLOST will bring in $4 million a year for five years for Gilmer County to be used on roads and bridges.
His goal is to pave as much of the 200 miles of gravel roads as he can in the county to make them easier to maintain. The money would also be used for equipment for the road department and road and bridge maintenance.
Mowing and striping roads will be included, as well.
“Striping, going forward, is going to be a big issue,” Paris said.
Right now, the county is having trouble finding a contractor to stripe roads which are being paved.
At the same meeting, commissioners approved the intergovernmental agreement between the cities and county concering the disbursement of TSPLOST funds, should the vote pass.
If it passes, Gilmer County will get 92.35 percent of the TSPLOST with East Ellijay getting 1.93 percent and Ellijay receiving 5.72 percent. This mirrors the split of the SPLOST tax.
Both East Ellijay and Ellijay councils have approved the agreement.
Exempt from a TSPLOST
According to a memorandum from the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia, there are six exemptions to a TSPLOST.
﹣ The sale or use of any type of fuel used for off-road, heavy-duty equipment, off-road farm or agricultural equipment or locomotives;
﹣ The sale or use of jet fuel to or by a qualifying airline at a qualifying airport;
﹣ The sale or use of fuel that is used for propulsion of motor vehicles on the public highways;
﹣ The sale or use of energy used in the manufacturing or processing of tangible goods primarily for resale;
﹣ The sale or use of motor fuel as defined under paragraph (9) of Code Section 48-9-2 for public mass transit; or
﹣ The purchase or lease of any motor vehicle pursuant to Code Section 48-5C-1.