— Another SPLOST referendum is coming our way.

On July 31, everyone will have the opportunity to vote on another one percent sales tax that, if approved, will last for 10 years and, like all other SPLOSTs, would almost be another forever tax.

The vote is mandated by the Georgia Transportation Act of 2010 (TIA).

The new tax, known as the T-SPLOST, would fund transportation projects in a southwest Georgia transportation district that contains 13 counties (Decatur, Baker, Thomas, Colquitt, Miller Grady, Seminole, Mitchell, Terrell, Worth, Lee, Calhoun and Early).

The southwest Georgia transportation district is one of 12 districts statewide that will be holding referendums on July 31.

Each of the 12 districts will vote on the measure and, if the vote fails to pass in a particular district, the tax will not be assessed.

There is some confusion about how the funds generated will be used in each of the individual counties in the new transportation districts around the state.

From what we know at this point Thomas County and Thomasville, respectively, would receive about $1 million annually ($800,000 and $200,000) ,although the actual tax collected would be about $6-7 million dollars. In other words, Thomas County’s share of T-SPLOST funds would create only about one-sixth the amount of a normal 1 percent sales tax SPLOST.

Surplus funds in excess of $1 million would be redirected to other projects in the other 12 counties.

As a number of vocal critics of the program around the state are saying, the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) could re-direct these surplus funds to Atlanta for MARTA or any other projects in and around the state if desired.

One critic of the overall program from Lowndes County is calling the entire effort the biggest scam to hit Georgia in a century.

As reported, the T-SPLOST referendum to be held in just 90 days means that if Thomas County votes against the T-SPLOST and the vote passes in the other counties overall, the tax will be assessed in every county, Thomas included.

Supposing that the 13-county southwest Georgia district votes the measure down, future participation in GDOT contracts of cities and counties in our district would receive only 70 percent toward local GDOT projects versus the current amount of 90 percent.

But, the local sales tax would still be only seven cents, not eight.

While I personally oppose the proposed tax, the time has come for citizens to once again go to the polls and vote whether they want to raise the sales tax one percent or stay at the current seven percent.

Is rural Georgia ready for another new tax? You are the judge, but now is the time to grab an oar and start rowing the boat to find out more about this unique program.