Georgia Mountains Transportation Roundtable meets

DAHLONEGA - The Georgia Mountains Region Transportation Roundtable chose its leadership and set a course toward passing a regional sales tax in 2012 to support transportation Wednesday night in Dahlonega.

County Commissioner Lamar Paris from Union County was picked as Roundtable Chairman, and he called for unity among the 13 counties and the cities within those counties.

"I'm not going to say it's going to be easy," Paris said. "Even though the big ones will have more votes, it requires that everybody work together.
If you've got one city or one county that feels like that they got a raw deal, they're going to be out trying to keep the vote from happening, so it's imperative that we all work together."

During its Recreation Center meeting the Roundtable also selected its executive committee with five voting and one non-voting member; Gainesville Mayor Ruth Bruner is a member, and they unanimously approved regional criteria for regional transportation projects and plans.

Also selected as executive committee members were Harris Little, Mayor of Carnesville; Mike Berg, Dawson County; Stan "Butch" Darnell from Rabun County and Ford Gravitt, Mayor of Cumming. Sonny James of Habersham County was picked as the committee's non-voting member.

Mayor Bruner said that regional transportation sales tax revenues generated in 13 Northeast Georgia counties would stay in the region.

"Seventy-five percent would go to these projects that we'll select as an executive committee," the Mayor said, adding that 25 percent of the revenues go to local governments for discretionary projects as they see fit.

Roundtable member Cornelia Mayor Margaret Ballard, said that tax revenue could make Highway 365 in Habersham County much safer.

"It's such a dangerous road because of all the unlimited access," Mayor Ballard said. "We had four people in four weeks killed on Highway 365."

DOT Planning Director Todd Long conducted the meeting and said it was a first big step with Roundtable members choosing their leadership and setting priorities.

"This group is willing to move forward," Long said. "It's a long process to 2012 but we had a very positive meeting. We're starting the process on a list of projects to sell to the public."