When Whitfield County voters cast their ballot on May 21, they will vote on whether to create a four-year Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) that would be expected to collect some $80 million.
A SPLOST is a 1% sales tax on most goods sold in the county that pays for capital projects by the local governments.
Under an intergovernmental agreement approved by local officials earlier this year, the county would receive approximately $50.144 million and the city of Dalton would receive some $26.9 million. Tunnel Hill would receive approximately $752,000 with Varnell receiving $1.696 million and Cohutta receiving about $592,000.
More than half of the county’s share of the money — $28.1 million — would go to road improvement projects, including Reed Road, Rauschenberg Road and Hollywood Drive flood relief; Old LaFayette Road/Houston Valley Road realignment; Brickyard Road/South Dixie Highway intersection improvements; bridge and culvert replacements; and general road paving, as well as new public works equipment.
Some $6.95 million would go to the fire department including renovations to fire stations and the training center, new breathing apparatuses and new pumper trucks.
Another $3 million would go to replacement and upgrades of the radios used by first responders; $4.05 million to improvements to Westside Park, including a new gymnasium/community center; $2.25 million for improvements to Edwards Park, including replacement of field lighting with LED lights; $1.831 million for new vehicles and equipment for the sheriff’s office; $1.1 million for capital improvements to the county jail such as replacing the parts of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) and security hardware replacement; and $1.2 million for improvements to the courthouse HVAC system.
Some $900,000 would go to infrastructure improvements including sewer expansion; $478,000 for improvements at Prater’s Mill, including restrooms and a new outdoor events stage; $150,000 for improvements at Rocky Face Ridge Park, including a veterans memorial; $85,000 for a storage facility for first responders and Whitfield County Transit; and $51,000 for replacing the aging firing range cover and storage shed at the sheriff’s office training center and improving drainage at the center.
The projects that would be funded from the city of Dalton’s share of the SPLOST are:
• Renovations to Heritage Point Park and improvements to other parks: $3 million.
• Mill Line Trail extension: $3 million.
• Dalton Fire Department ladder truck and capital projects: $2.6 million.
• Police vehicles and equipment: $2.2 million.
• Public safety radios replacement: $1.5 million.
• Roads, streets, bridges, stormwater projects, paving, sidewalks and Streetscape improvements: $14.515 million.
Under the agreement, if the SPLOST collects more than $80 million the excess money would be split with 35% to Dalton and 65% to Whitfield County.
A SPLOST approved by voters in 2020 expires at the end of September. It has funded among other projects the creation of Riverbend Park and Rocky Face Ridge Park, Whitfield County Fire Station 12, two soccer fields at Heritage Point Park, the renovation of Dalton’s John Davis Recreation Center and road paving across the county and Dalton.