The Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (TSPLOST) referendums were denied in Hall, Gwinnett, and Jackson counties on Tuesday.
The 1-percent taxes were going to be applied to sales taxes across those counties to aid in the transportation budget for things such as road infrastructure.
Hall County voters struck the proposed tax down 54 to 46-percent.
“TSPLOST would have significantly impacted funding for road infrastructure projects, but I respect the choice of the Hall County voters and want to emphasize that this decision does not make transportation projects any less important to local government,” Hall County District 2 commissioner Billy Powell said in a statement.
Powell did not offer specifics as to what the solution will be to offset the lack of tax money, but did say alternatives would be sought.
“Our next steps in transportation include exploring alternative ways to fund high-priority transformational projects to ensure our roadways are meeting the demands of growth while improving safety and efficiency,” Powell continued.
Gwinnett and Jackson counties saw similar numbers, with voters deciding “no” 53 to 47-percent.
Gwinnett County Chairwoman Nicole Love Hendrickson released a statement on the matter.
“This plan was unanimously adopted by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners, and we moved to place the decision in the hands of Gwinnett County voters,” Hendrickson said. “Unfortunately, voters turned down the vote to fund expanded and enhanced transit in this way.”
Hendrickson added that their current transit system is limited, and with more than 250,000 people expected to move to Gwinnett by 2050 they need solutions.
Ty Clack, who just won Jackson County’s third commission district on Tuesday, was also in support of their TSPLOST referendum.
“TSPLOST was really important,” Clack said. “We’re definitely behind, I mean we have over 600 miles of unpaved roads in the east side of the county.”
He added that he was disappointed.
“I’m very disappointed that it didn’t pass, but I understand why,” Clack said. “People just don’t have an appetite for a 1-percent sales tax of any kind. All they want is less tax.”
There were SPLOST referendums in three other counties in the region that were approved.
Forsyth County voters passed their SPLOST in a 59 to 41-percent split, Rabun County passed SPLOST in a 63 to 37-percent vote, and 64-percent of White County voters elected to continue their SPLOST tax.
