EDITORIAL: Support T-SPLOST

Published 10:00 am Thursday, October 26, 2023

Early voting is underway in Baldwin County and just one item is to be decided. The fate of the local 1-cent transportation sales tax is in the hands of voters to decide. If approved the T-SPLOST will run from 2024 to 2029, collecting up to $45 million for local transportation projects. The monies will be split 65% for the county and 35% for the city.

Please go vote and support this sales tax.

Sales tax is the most equitable form of taxation, spreading the responsibility as opposed to placing the burden entirely on property owners. Anyone who shops in Baldwin County will pay a portion of the tax, whether they live in the city, the county or another region.

County officials noted recently that about 40% of the sales tax, or about $18 million, is projected to be generated by out-of-county shoppers. Don’t forget that not everyone traveling on roads in the city and county lives within Baldwin County. Baldwin County pulls in motorists from all over, frequenting local roads en route to their destinations. County Commissioner Henry Craig called the existing road conditions “one of the most serious problems” facing Baldwin County. It’s an area of concern that will likely only worsen with rising costs of supplies and aging roadways.

Early voting began Monday and continues until Nov. 3, with Election Day set for Nov. 7. The T-SPLOST is the only item on this year’s local ballot. While we recognize that there are no major races this year, this vote is important, potentially impacting the future of Milledgeville and Baldwin County.

County officials say that only about five miles of road in Baldwin County gets resurfaced per year. Money generated from this tax will help spur those resurfacing projects along considerably, adding an additional 25 miles each year. That adds up. The county has outlined 140 miles of roadway that will be on the list for resurfacing if the tax is approved by voters. The county’s full list can be viewed at baldwincountyga.com .

If you have questions about the tax, reach out to your city and county representatives or visit their government websites. But what you shouldn’t do is stay home and not vote.

Yes, a tax is still a tax, but sales tax represents a more balanced distribution of the costs of operating.

Voters should approve the TSPLOST. This is a way to share the responsibility.