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AJC.com > Legislature > Blog > Archives > 2007 > February > 06 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USSales tax proposed to pay for metro road improvements
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
A bill proposing a sales tax to pay for transportation improvements in the meto area’s five biggest counties could be introduced in the state General Assembly as early as next week, Sam Williams, president of the Metro Atlanta Chamber of Commerce, said Tuesday.
Williams, speaking to the Atlanta Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the measure would allow county commissioners in Fulton, DeKalb, Gwinnett, Cobb and Clayton to put an increase of up to 1 penny in an additional sales taxes on a ballot in their counties between now and 2010. A penny increase over 10 years could raise as much as $9 billion or $10 billion, he said.
Raising the funds is essential, he said, if the metro area wants to avoid the traffic headache it experienced last week when two competing conventions tied up traffic downtown for hours.
“[Traffic] is one of the unintended consequences of our success,” he said of Atlanta’s growth as a convention center. “
Williams said the bill would be introduced by prominent Republicans from the counties, but declined to name them.
The money would be used for specific projects that would be agreed upon before a referendum, much like a special purpose local option sales tax many counties have used to raise money for schools, he said. It would also have a sunset date.
If approved, the counties would have to decide how to manage the projects, he said. The bill would allow other counties to opt in, but specifically target the five largest.
Permalink | Comments (10) | Categories: Transportation
Comments
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By keith
February 7, 2007 8:20 AM | Link to this
Let’s just pave over the whole state. Coordinating those stupid conventions would have made a whole lot more sense than proposing a sales tax to fix such situations. I won’t vote for another penny.
By KC
February 7, 2007 8:47 AM | Link to this
Why should someone like me, who lives in-town and uses mass transit, have to pay additional taxes when all of those commuters from Cherokee, Henry, Forsyth, and Coweta Counties clog the highways in/around the city and wouldn’t have to pay any tax?
By paul
February 7, 2007 11:17 AM | Link to this
the metro area just rec’ed a ton of $ from the ‘96 olympics. that mass traffic tie up was the result of poor planning and nothing else. don’t let them fool you folks. $9-10BILLION is going to go to other frivilous probjects and benefit only the politicians (pay raises,etc). this same thing happened in florida last yr.
By TLW
February 7, 2007 12:00 PM | Link to this
When is it ever enough? If we did not have to pay in to so many entitlement programs, the gov’t would have enough money. And don’t get me started on how much is spent on the illegals. I say cut these programs & foster children whose parents cannot afford them. I’m sick of paying for the poor.
By Beretverde
February 7, 2007 1:36 PM | Link to this
What a joke. The transportation “plan” is so outdated and when enacted and completed, it will be… OUTDATED! Go ahead, make my day, tax me more for more ineefectiveness. Rapid transit is the answer… the more you wait the more it will cost! Georgia will NEVER reach its full potential because of three things 1. POOR EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM 2. OUT-DATED BLUE LAWS and 3. the fact that trains will eventually built for transportation (read ala NY, Chicago, etc…) but it will be too LATE!
By Rick in Lawrenceville
February 7, 2007 4:12 PM | Link to this
Transportation officials and state/local politicans are incompetent. We had already purchased property/rights of way for the Northern Arc…then Sonny put it on his list to kill that solution to traffic congestion in the North Metro counties. Giving more money to these losers is ridiculous!
By PJ
February 8, 2007 8:38 AM | Link to this
Why would we want to give more money to the same people with the same plans that have been proven ineffective. Does anyone remember DOT’s “Freeing the Freeways” program that was supposed to be the ultimate solution (at the cost of 10 years of construction). Do you feel free? Let’s stop subsidizing the choices of suburbanites who want the big houses, but don’t want to deal with the consequences of thier choice to make a long commute. No more money until there is a reasonable plan!
By Fred Beamer
February 8, 2007 10:52 AM | Link to this
How about instead of another penny on top of at least 7% (8% in areas Atlanta water serves) we have the state pick up the tab for the regional transit system (instead of only Fulton and DeKalb). Make everyone come to the table and play nice and have actual regional transit, instead of a dozen different transit agencies. Removing MARTA from the mix would free up 1% of that sales tax that could then be spent on things like a SPLOST for roadway improvements.
By CCummings
February 8, 2007 11:58 AM | Link to this
Here is a plan… A toll booth at every 285 intersection… It should cost those suburbanites $5 each way to come into the city… They get the benefit of Atlanta without having to pay for it!
By Dick
February 8, 2007 12:54 PM | Link to this
Here’s a thought. Stop tyring to cram everything into Atlanta area. Spread some of the state and federal jobs in otyher areas, such as Macon, Perry, Warner Robbins, Heck, we have running water, electricity and even in door plumbing in South Georgia.