Cobb County will spend an extra $31 million this year on transportation, public safety and park projects, after voter-approved sales tax collections once again exceeded government forecasts.
Commissioners on Tuesday voted unanimously to spend the additional funds, which were collected as part of Georgia’s widely used SPLOST program.
SPLOSTs, or special purpose local option sales taxes, allow local governments to ask voters to raise sales taxes to fund expensive public projects, such as infrastructure and buildings.
Cobb voters approved the SPLOST in a 2014 referendum. Initially, officials expected the 1% sales tax to generate $750 million over 6 years, starting in 2016.
But collections have blown past expectations, generating nearly 20% more sales tax revenue. Last year, commissioners agreed to spend an additional $114 million, according to the Marietta Daily Journal. Add in the money approved on Tuesday, and the county will have spent $895 million total.
About half of the additional money, $15.1 million, will be earmarked for the Department of Transportation for drainage system projects, road work and a pedestrian connector for the Silver Comet Trail. Other notable projects include $5.8 million for a firing range at a law enforcement training center, $4.2 million for parks and $3.7 million for a fire training facility.
Jimmy Gisi, the deputy county manager, told commissioners that each of the projects was on the list approved by voters in 2016.
The 1% sales tax was set to expire in December 2021, but voters extended it for an additional 6-year term.
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