Georgia Gov. Nathan DealATLANTA – Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal signaled Thursday that he’s backing off efforts to delay a transportation tax vote to the November 2012 general election, a schedule change that supporters hope would boost the measure’s chance of winning voter approval.
Deal told reporters at the state Capitol that if lawmakers want to consider moving the date of the vote when the Legislature reconvenes next year, they can. But the Republican governor said he won’t play a leading role in the effort.
“If there’s a reason to revisit it in January, that can be done, but right now that is not on my agenda items,” Deal said. “It will be left up to the members of the General Assembly.”
Earlier, Deal had said it was important to put the vote on the general election ballot to allow more Georgians weigh in. He and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed had been publicly spearheading the effort to shift the date.
The plan, adopted by legislators earlier this year, allows 12 regions around the state to ask voters whether to raise their sales tax by 1 cent to pay for a pre-approved list of transportation projects. The public votes are set for July 2012. But supporters – including the Georgia Chamber of Commerce – had pressed to delay the vote until the November general election. Deal added the date change to the short list of issues the lawmakers could take up during their special session.