A year after the TSPLOST measure suffered a narrow defeat, Liberty County voters approved putting the penny tax supporting transportation improvements into gear again.
The transportation special purpose local option sales tax earned approval from nearly 61% of the voters who cast ballots in the election, getting 4,124 yes votes to 2,663 no votes.
Liberty County Commission Chairman Donald Lovette was overjoyed with the results.
“I’m very rarely speechless,” he said. “Our success with TSPLOST has to be in response to our infrastructure needs that are evident in Liberty County every day, as well as our grassroots effort to educate the public on the value of TSPLOST. I’m glad to see the people of Liberty County rise to the occasion.
“We’re thrilled. We’re enthused,” Lovette added. “We look forward to many infrastructure improvements to help traffic flow, to help with drainage, to help with sidewalks, all those things that TSPLOST can afford. We couldn’t have done it without our citizens and I hope they maintain this level of awareness for future TSPLOSTs.”
Because the extension of TSPLOST failed at the ballot box last year, the first round of the tax ended in September. The new TSPLOST will go into effect next year and is expected to bring in $87.6 million to help with road and drainage projects.
“I just cannot wait to put all our plans into action,” Lovette said.
Local officials also have said that out-of-county residents coming to and through Liberty County provide approximately 35%, and perhaps more, of the revenue from the penny tax.
Voters also backed the floating local option sales tax, or FLOST, by a large majority. More than 69% of Liberty County voters approved the FLOST, or 4,723 of the 6,806 votes cast.
With FLOST, an additional penny sales tax will be incurred but its proceeds will be used to reduce millage rates and potentially lower property taxes across the county.
Hinesville officials projected they could roll their millage back by as much as 4.5 mills with the initial FLOST. For a home valued at $100,000, a 4.5 mill reduction would mean a $180 deduction in property taxes.
“I look forward to when we collect those pennies and we get to apply those to their property tax bills in 2027 and we can give them some relief,” Lovette said.
Local officials also expect the potential and planned commercial developments at the Interstate 95 and Highway 84 interchange to be a significant boon to sales tax collections.
“I see the potential growth in Midway as another injection into economic growth and diversity in Liberty County,” Lovette said.
The first TSPLOST, which has ended, has funded such improvements as the traffic signal at Highway 84 and Flemington Village Boulevard and for the signal on Veterans Parkway between Lowe’s and Walmart. It has funded widening of Deal Street in Hinesville, along with the improvement of Wallace Martin Drive and Highway 84 in Flemington and work on Islands Highway.
Lovette also pointed to the state Department of Transportation’s willingness to partner with communities that have “some skin in the game,” he said.
TSPLOST proceeds also have been used to help with the first phase of the Hinesville bypass, which is under construction.
“A great big ol’ thank you to the citizens of Liberty County for supporting TSPLOST,” he said. “They will not regret it.”