Do Atlanta Residents Trust State Officials on T-SPLOST Plan?
If T-SPLOST passes, it’s expected to generate about $6 billion dollars for metro Atlanta transportation projects over the next 10 years. But some residents aren’t convinced state officials will handle the money well. Others, like Glen Patrick, who relies on MARTA, aren’t sure the tax will end after the 10-year period.
“We all know they’ll say one thing and do another,” he says, “Or they’ll constantly raise the fare every six months or so forth to possibly extend that tax.”
Some of that uncertainty may stem from former Governor Sonny Perdue’s pledge to end the tolls on Georgia 400 once part of the highway was paid off. In 2010, the then-governor instead decided to extend the tolls to pay for improvement projects.
A recent public opinion survey by the Libertarian Reason Foundation asked metro Atlanta residents:
How likely is it that state government will properly handle the funds if the transportation tax is passed? Polling director Emily Eakins says more than 50% of respondents answered “Not very, or Not at all.”
“I think that that reveals that whether or not people have faith in our system of government—I think they like our system of government—but that doesn’t mean they think that the system itself is very good at handling its checkbook,” she explains.
But state transportation officials are trying to reassure people that safeguards are in place.
Kirk Fjelstul is the deputy executive director of the Georgia Regional Transportation Authority, which would oversee the rail projects. He says by law, they have to stick to a ten-year timeline.
“Our only plan is for implementing a 10-year sales tax program,” Fjelstul says, ” The skepticism about whether the sales tax will go on, I can’t really address the politics of all that. What I can tell you is the legislation is clear—it’s a 10-year tax and no more.”
And, officials say, there are also strict financial controls. Russell McMurry is the Division Director of Engineering for the Georgia Department of Transportation, which would oversee the road projects. He says if T-SPLOST passes, GDOT will have to follow a rigid funding model and timeline.
“The budget is defined,” McMurry explains, “So, you’ll have to have contingencies in that budget to allow for any cost overruns. Because there is no additional money outside the revenue that is collected.”
The money will be managed by the Georgia State Finance Investment Commission. State transportation agencies will ask them for reimbursement when the work is done. McMurray says the pay-as-you-go model is new to Georgia.
“Projects have to be designed and constructed to budget,” he says, “That’s something that’s sweeping the nation in all transportation agencies is a more focus of budget-driven design than designing to satisfy the need and then budget escalates to whatever that design is.”
But for the tax to pass, they may have to win over voters like Dorothy Sanderson. Despite the promise of a ten-year timeline, she’s skeptical.
“I’m not familiar with any taxes really that stop or go backwards,” she says, “Usually, it’s a forever thing, and if not, they always find some reason to add on or keep it.”
Sanderson is a librarian who depends on public transit to get to and from work. Says she will vote. She’s just not sure which way.
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