A campaign for two measures on the ballot this November is underway.

Liberty County voters will get to choose this fall on whether to renew the transportation special purpose local option sales tax and whether to adopt a floating local option sales tax that is designed for property tax relief.

Voters last fall did not renew the TSPLOST, sending it to a narrow defeat. But members of the Liberty County Development Authority agreed to help fund a campaign to push for the TSPLOST and FLOST passage.

“It is vital that these two pass,” said state Rep. Al Williams (D-Midway), who chairs the LCDA.

The proposed six-year TSPLOST is expected to raise $76 million for roads and other transportation improvements. Those improvements include sidewalks, drainage, milling and paving, and utility relocation and rights-ofway acquisition.

The current TSPLOST ends in September and is capped at raising $54 million.

TSPLOST proceeds were seen as instrumental in getting phase 1 of the Hinesville bypass approved and started.

“They want you to have some skin in the game and the only way to do that is by passing the TSPLOST,” Williams said.

Proceeds from TSPLOST also have gone into improvements for Charles Frasier Boulevard and Wallace Martin Road, and there are plans to use $2 million from a future TSPLOST for Hinesville bypass phase 2 road concept and design work.

But getting an extension of TSPLOST is critical for the bypass’ second phase, Williams said. Where phase 2 will go and how much it will cost has not been determined, but the goal is to have the second phase of the bypass — the longer of the two stretches at nearly 10 miles — connect with Highway 84 and Highway 196 west of Midway.

“Without that TSPLOST, it is a waste of time to talk about phase 2 for the bypass,” he said. “We have a lot of people who come to Hinesville, who come to Liberty County, and they can help us pay our bills. It is vitally important we pass TSPLOST.”

“We need your support to renew TSPLOST in November,” county commission Chairman Donald Lovette added. “Without it, there will be no phase 2.”

Proponents of the sales tax measures are taking old school and new school approaches to educating the electorate. Along with a breakfast planned for local pastors, the effort will include creation of TikTok videos.

“The urgency has given us a different direction,” said Hinesville Mayor Karl Riles.

While the TSPLOST can be directed only toward roads and transportation improvements, FLOST also has a specific use. Should FLOST pass, the money raised through that sales tax will be used to roll back millage rates, reducing property taxes for land owners.

Whatever a FLOST generates in sales tax revenue, the millage must be reduced by an amount that is needed to produce an equal amount of money. For example, if the FLOST raises $1 million, the millage rate will be reduced by the number of mills on property taxes needed to raise $1 million.

“We could be looking at 20-30% reduction in overall property taxes,” Williams said. “This is significant.”

Riles said the relief the FLOST could give property owners in Hinesville may be even larger.

“We believe we’ll be able to cut our property taxes in half,” he said. “We believe if FLOST passes, our millage rate will be about 6 mills.”

Proponents of the TSPLOST and FLOST also may reach out to local civic clubs and organizations to show them the details of the two measures.

“This is vitally important,” LCDA member Willa Lewis said. “It is all about educating folks.”