Transportation tax referendum set for March

Augusta voters will decide two sales tax referenda next year in addition to voting for a president.

The first will be renewing the 10-year Transportation Investment Act sales tax, which will go into effect in 2022 if voters approve.

At a Monday meeting on the TIA 2 project list, Mayor Hardie Davis said current plans are to place the question on the March Presidential Preference Primary ballot and Augusta’s next traditional sales tax on the November general election ballot.

“Currently, we’re tracking for the presidential primary ballot, under the premise that in November 2020 we put SPLOST 8 on the ballot,” Davis said.

Georgia’s 2020 election calendar has the presidential primary  – when voters select between Democratic candidates for president – scheduled for March 24.

The general election is Nov. 5, and between the two elections is the May 19 nonpartisan primary, when Augusta voters will choose five Augusta commissioners and decide a handful of other posts.

With a target of approximately $300 million in transportation sales tax collections, commissioners Monday defended their priorities for lower-ranked projects to fund in the current project list.

The list, and those of the 12 other counties in the CSRA TIA district as well as the election date, require state approval.

At the top of the local list remain $30 million for Augusta Transit operations and maintenance, $11 million in Augusta Regional and Daniel Field airport improvements, upgrades for Barton Chapel, Willis, Dennis and Richmond Hill roads as well as $42.6 million to continue the ongoing overhaul of Broad Street.

Commissioner Sammie Sias, who chairs the local TIA subcommittee, said his priority is upgrades to Doug Barnard Parkway between Tobacco Road and Highway 56, while Davis said the section between Gordon Highway and Tobacco needs lighting.

Commissioner Bobby Wiliams said several Richmond County schools lack sidewalks on the roads students use. Sias said the city ought to work jointly with the school board as the board has a larger budget and effort should involve the city’s accessibility officer.

Davis and Sias will present the list to the roundtable at 2 p.m. next Tuesday, Oct. 29, at the Thomson-McDuffie government center.