Gwinnett wants to form citizens group for SPLOST input

LAWRENCEVILLE - Gwinnett County government leaders are pushing for public participation as the county gets ready to place a transportation SPLOST on the November 5 ballot.

Residents who are interested in participating on the Citizens Project Selection Committee are invited to attend an organizational meeting that has been scheduled for August 26 from 6:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. in the auditorium of the Gwinnett Justice and Administration Center at 75 Langley Drive in Lawrenceville.

"The purpose of the meeting is to select members and alternates to represent six major interest groups on the committee," said Gwinnett Transportation Director Kim Conroy.

Four members of the committee will represent homeowners - one from each commission district - and one representative each will represent the business community, environmental stakeholders, schools, civic organizations, and Gwinnett County's seniors.

Hundreds of letters were mailed last week inviting residents to attend the meeting and help spread the word. The letters are just one part of the plan to receive input, according to Board Chairman Charlotte Nash.

"We need representation from all segments of the county, so we're sending letters, talking to the media and sharing information through all the County's communications channels, including the website," said Nash.

The Board of Commissioners is expected on Tuesday to issue a call for a special purpose local option sales tax referendum to be placed on the Nov. 5 ballot. The new SPLOST focuses primarily on transportation but also includes funding for other purposes such as public safety, parks, libraries and senior facilities, according to county leaders. If passed, the new SPLOST will take effect when the current SPLOST program expires on March 31, 2014.

According to county estimates, the new SPLOST program would end in March 2017 and would raise an estimated $498 million in total. Gwinnett County would receive 78.9 percent of the proceeds and the cities in Gwinnett would receive 21.1 percent. The County has determined that 70 percent of its share, or an estimated $275 million, will be dedicated to transportation projects such as roads, bridges, intersection improvements and sidewalks.