TLC points out threats and coercion of TSPLOST are not gone

Counties face fallout from failed TSPLOST vote

By Sandra Parrish

WSB Radio

One of the groups that came out against the transportation sales tax referendum earlier this week, now complains the counties in the nine regions where it failed will be penalized for their “no” votes.

Jack Staver, chairman of the Transportation Leadership Coalition, says the same law that created the referendum specifies the counties where it does not pass will have to come up with a 30 percent match for all state-funded DOT projects.

“The threats and coercions of TSPLOST are not completely gone,” he says.

Fayette County Commissioner and TLC founding member, Steve Brown, says while it’s not unusual for counties to have to come up with a match for such projects, those in the three regions where the tax did pass only have to come up with a 10 percent match.

“Local governments across the state will now be paying hundreds of millions of dollars more in matching funds for vital road and bridge projects because we refused to support their horrible TSPLOST project list,” he says.

The group is calling for Gov. Nathan Deal to waive the penalties until at least January when lawmakers have a chance to repeal the law.

“The last thing that we need is a penalty tax for voters voting their conscience,” says Brown.