Mayor lists tax projects

Augusta Mayor Bob Young has proposed a list of sales tax projects for commissioners to consider as they meet today to continue work on a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax 5 package.

Mr. Young's four-year proposal would bring in $129.05 million for projects owned and operated by the city.

"My effort is to bring us back to the SPLOST as originally proposed to the voters in the city - 100 percent focus on infrastructure," the mayor said.

Last November, voters rejected a $486 million plan that would run more than a decade. The current tax expires at the end of this year, and if not renewed, would be financially catastrophic to the city, according to officials.

The list Mr. Young proposes commissioners use as a starting point for their deliberations has been drawn from the list the citizens committee put together last year.

It was also drawn with an eye toward completing the projects within four years, including the more than $100 million backlog from previous sales tax issues.

"I deeply believe, the shorter the list and the fewer the dollars, the better the chances for voter acceptance," he said.

The proposed list includes $30 million more for the proposed judicial center to go with $20 million collected from previous sales tax issues. Mr. Young proposed capping the cost at $50 million.

Another high-dollar project on the mayor's list is construction of four jail pods, two for now and two more that could be used to house the inmates now held at the Fourth Street jail.

"The clear unknown in the SPLOST equation is the Joint Law Enforcement Center," the mayor said. "Do we spend up to $9 million to repair the building, or abandon it? I support the latter. So more cells and infrastructure are needed at the Webster Center."

Mr. Young also proposes $10 million for an exhibition center.

"The addition to the convention center is needed to attract larger meetings to our city," he said. "The visitors who come pay hotel-motel taxes and sales taxes. They trade with our merchants. This project clearly will generate money. A $45 million shortfall can be met by revenue bonds, which would be repaid by money generated by the convention center. Hotel-motel tax and mixed-drink tax can be redistributed to assist with construction costs."

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.