A SPLOST referendum for Columbus has been scheduled for November 2. On the ballot is a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (or SPLOST). A “Yes” vote would raise the current sales tax in Columbus from 8% to 9% for nine months, starting in April 2022. The goal is to raise $400 million, $200 million of which will go to rebuilding or renovating the existing, deteriorating Government Center and to build a new Judicial Center.

In addition, according to the question on the ballot, the other $200 million would be dedicated to “Road, Street, and Bridge Improvements; Trials and Sidewalks; Storm Water Projects; Parks and Recreation Projects; Golf Facilities; Public Safety; General Government Vehicles and Equipment; Technology Enhancements; Columbus Ironworks Convention and Trade Center Improvements; Columbus Civic Center; and Economic Development (collectively, the “Capital Projects”)”.

If “No” prevails, the sales tax would go back to 8%. The most recent renewal of the 1% sales tax was approved in June 2020 for the Muscogee County School District.

Early Voting Begins October 12-29, from 7:30am to 5:30pm, with weekend voting on Saturday October 16, Saturday October 23 and Sunday October 24. Early voting will take place at the Citizen Service Center on Citizen Way. Absentee ballot applications are open to October 22, with a dropbox being available only during Early Voting hours (meaning that the dropbox is locked overnight, thanks to the odious SB202). Absentee voting applications are being accepted from now until October 24; applications can be downloaded, filled out digitally and emailed to muscogeeelectionsandregistration@columbusga.gov.

Background

This is the first non-educational SPLOST specific to Columbus in over a decade, and would go to either renovating or demolishing and rebuilding the Government Center, which was first constructed in 1968 prior to consolidation and has suffered deterioration at multiple levels in recent years, including an infamous incident in which a ruptured pipe dumped bird feces, leaves and other debris into Superior Court Judge Gil McBride’s office, resulting in the cancellation of several court hearings, as well as 36K gallons of toilet water flooding a courtroom in the building due to toilet repair (followed two weeks later by another flooding).

A T-SPLOST renewal for the River Valley region was approved by the other county commissions of the region for 2020 except for Columbus-Muscogee, with Mayor Skip Henderson saying in 2019 that Council would campaign against placing the item on the 2020 ballot if it conflicted with the aforementioned general SPLOST. The general SPLOST itself ended up being delayed to November 2 2021, while the T-SPLOST renewal for River Valley was absent from the June 9 2020 consolidated primary ballot. The River Valley Regional Commission has the option of placing the T-SPLOST renewal on the 2022 ballot.

Read more about the history of SPLOSTS and other local ballot questions here.