PDF: House Bill 1023 PDF: House Bill 1055 House Bill 277* Would create a 1 percent sales and use tax for 12 special tax districts for 10 years.* The regions, based on Regional Commission boundaries, would place a commissioner and mayor from each county on their region’s roundtable to approve a list of potential transportation projects from the director of transportation planning.* If the region approved the list, voters then would approve the tax in July 2012.* Regions outside metro Atlanta would retain 25 percent of funds raised by the tax (Atlanta would get 15 percent).* Regions that approved the tax would have to match local assistance road projects and state aidby only 10 percent as opposed to 30 percent.* House and Senate leaders would appoint five-member citizen review panels for each region that would review the progress of projects and if the public benefits promised for those projects were attained.* Would create a Transit Governance Study Commission, of Atlanta area officials, that would look at easing gridlock.* Would create the Georgia Coordinating Committee for Rural and Human Services Transportation of the Governor’s Development Council that would look at ways to consolidate government-operated transportation services and save costs.
By Ashley Speagle
Correspondent
ATLANTA — Voters may decide whether they want their region to pay an extra penny for every dollar they spend to invest in statewide transportation development.
“This is a good step, and it will make sure Georgia is competing in this global economy,” said Sen. Jeff Mullis, R-Chickamauga.
Legislators and Gov. Sonny Perdue talked about doing something to relieve Atlanta area gridlock and better connect the state transportation system for years.
Legislators, including transportation advocate Sen. Mullis, say the state needs more funds to develop transportation that will keep up with the growing population, encourage businesses to come here and draw down more federal money.
Without improvements to transportation, the growing population will cause Atlanta area traffic to more than double and take trips 85 percent longer by 2030, according to TRIP, a national transportation research organization.
Sen. Mullis also said the state needs better infrastructure for goods to travel through the state from Savannah ports.
Gov. Perdue’s original plan to raise funds by region stalled in committee, but legislators pulled a bill from last year out of a conference committee with compromises on all sides.
The 10-year funding plan would raise a 1 percent sales and use tax in 12 special districts, with those districts’ approval in a 2012 vote.
Gov. Perdue compromised on allowing individual districts to opt out. Leaders increased the percentage of funds that would stay entirely within a region to 25 percent.
Legislators also added a citizen review panel that was taken out of Gov. Perdue’s original bill.
“We know if the bill passes the money’s going to be there to pay for the projects, and we’ve got a review board to make sure the projects get done on time,” Sen. Tommie Williams, R-Lyons, said.
Some local legislators said whether they like the entire bill or not, they wanted to pass something that voters could have a say in.
“I don’t really have a preference either way, but when it comes to the floor I will vote on it to get it to the ballots,” Rep. Jay Neal, R-LaFayette said.
“Give people the right to vote it in,” said Rep. John Meadows, R-Calhoun. “Those that don’t want it can opt out.”
If a special district does not receive the majority of votes in support of the special tax, the district will not participate. Regional leaders on the roundtable can even opt out of the plan before it goes to the ballot for their region.
“I don’t think either one of my counties would opt out, but I’d like to give them the opportunity,” Rep. Meadows said.
The bill gives some extra incentives for counties to raise the special sales and use tax, though.
Districts that do not pass the tax will pay 30 percent in matching funds for any state aid for local road projects like widening or paving roads. Districts that approve the tax only need to match state aid by 10 percent.
Some legislators still opposed the bill, though, sticking to their conservative principles that to raise taxes is to err.
“As Americans in general, we already work well into April just to pay the tax burden,” said Rep. Martin Scott, Rossville, who voted against the bill.
Other legislators on the more liberal side said they didn’t believe the plan could raise enough money to complete transportation projects that affect the state.
“There’s just not enough money generated here to do any big project,” said Rep. DuBose Porter, D-Dublin. “Much of the objective was a way to get a lot of federal money, but under this bill that will not be possible.”
House Speaker Rep. David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, stepped to the House podium to tell representatives that the bill is the best plan they had this session.
“We’re in 2010, and we’re operating with a transportation funding system that’s about 50 years or so out of date,” said House Speaker Rep. David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge on the House floor. “If you don’t have a better plan, then I don’t want to hear from you tonight.”
House bill 277 passed 141-29 in the House and 43-8 in the Senate. It awaits a signature from Gov. Sonny Perdue.
Sen. Mullis said some of the concerns from legislators, like deciding who will represent a county on a regional roundtable that has more than one mayor, could be clarified by the time the vote rolls around.
Ashley Speagle covers the Georgia Legislature. Contact her at speagle.ashley@gmail.com.