CORRECTION: In the SPLOST story in Friday’s newspaper, a multi-use facility at Pyne Road Park, a $3 million project, was erroneously excluded. There was also a mention of tennis court repairs, but the location of those courts was incorrectly listed. Those courts are at McCluskey Tennis Center at Granger Park.

On Nov. 7 voters will go to the polls to decide mayor and city council positions in LaGrange, West Point and Hogansville, but another big decision will be made that night as well.

SPLOST V (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax), a proposed 1 percent tax on sales and uses within Troup County, will also be on the ballot. The SPLOST, if it passes, will be used for infrastructure and capital outlay projects, as well as debt services within the county.

Capital outlay projects are defined as major projects of a permanent, long-lived nature, such as land and structures, roads, streets, bridges, police cars, fire trucks, ambulances, garbage trucks and other major equipment, according to Advancing Georgia’s Counties, a nonprofit instrumentality of Georgia’s county governments.

SPLOST is collected for six years, with the tax collected being split between Troup County and the cities of West Point, Hogansville and LaGrange based on population.

The SPLOST is anticipated to bring in $70 million in revenue, split five different ways. County-wide projects would get 33 percent of the funding, or $23,100,000. County-specific projects would receive 28.5 percent, or $19,950,000. The city of LaGrange is projected to get 28.5 percent, or $19,950,000 and the city of Hogansville and city of West Point would receive $3.5 million each and 5 percent of the total. All dollar amounts are estimates. If SPLOST passes, the sales tax percentage in Troup County will remain at 7 percent.

Some of the major projects included in SPLOST V are upgrades to the LaGrange Police Department, a new Troup County Fire Department and continued support of The Thread walking trail.

Here’s a breakdown on every project proposed under SPLOST V, according to Troup Tomorrow and confirmed with information from the county.

County-Specific

Project Overview: Renovations/replacement fuel center/buildings ($500,000), vehicle/equipment replacement ($2,170,000), fire department ($8,076,000) and roads and bridges ($9,204,000). Total cost: $19,950,000

Specific Breakdown: Proposed changes for the Troup County Fire Department include replacing eight fire engines, an estimated cost of $4,356,000, and four fire tankers, an estimated cost of $1,022,400. The eight fire engines that would be replaced have been in service 30 to 36 years, and the four fire tankers have been in service 48 years.

A new fire department headquarters and station renovations and upgrades would also be included at an estimated cost of $2,697,000. The current classroom and the emergency operations center was built as a residential house in 1950 and was renovated in 1997 for fire department use. The proposed fire department headquarters would be a multi-use facility that would operate as a training center and a county emergency operations center.

The county-specific projects also include replacing county vehicles and equipment that is aging and no longer serviceable at a cost of $2,170,000.

The proposed renovation/replacement fueling systems and buildings include replacing tanks that are more than 40 years old. The tanks were last refurbished in 1994.

County-Wide

Project Overview: 911 upgrades ($250,000), trails ($5 million), parks ($6.2 million), roads and bridges ($8 million), renovations ($1.4 million), West Point recreation ($1.5 million), Hogansville recreation ($750,000)

Specific Breakdown: The roads and bridges portion of the county-wide SPLOST initiative is the most-costly project in this section. It would include bridge replacements, road resurfacing, road construction, intersection upgrades, equipment and vehicle replacements, dirt road paving and drainage replacements.

The trails section refers to ongoing construction of The Thread, the multipurpose trail that will eventually be 29 miles long.  The parks and recreation expenses include creating a $100,000 master plan for the Parks and Recreation Department, constructing a $1 million Agriculture Extension Education Center and $3 million worth of upgrades to Pyne Road Park.

McCluskey Tennis Center’s tennis courts would receive repairs and upgrading lighting ($150,000). The Griggs Center would also add a pool or spray park ($300,000), the soccer complex would be expanded due to the growth of football and soccer ($1.5 million) and other renovations would be completed (Griggs heating, ventilation and air conditioning, van replacement, maintenance equipment, and Active Life) for a cost of $150,000.

The Hogansville recreation portion would include adding park system signage, improving access and parking and renovating parks. Under SPLOST V, Hogansville’s McGhee Field would turn into a multi-use greenspace and basketball court.

West Point projects ($1.5 million) include a splash park expansion, new facilities, facility improvements and maintenance equipment.

City of LaGrange

Project Overview: Road and bridge improvements ($6 million), The Thread ($5 million), public safety ($4 million), Gateway Corridor enhancements ($2 million), utility relocation ($1.4 million), Regional Storm Management Initiatives ($1 million) and park upgrades ($550,000).

Phase one of The Thread has already been completed, but with funding from the next SPLOST, the goal is to have the first 15 miles completed by the end of 2021. It was unclear how much of The Thread would be completed using SPLOST V.

Park upgrades ($550,000) include replacing older playground equipment at Granger Park, redeveloping the Jackson Street Park with a greenspace, playground facilities and a picnic pavilion; adding a small-scale bike playground with realistic lane markings and a dog park that would allow dogs to exercise and socialize safely.

The Gateway Corridor enhancements would include landscaping, sidewalks, ornamental lampposts and underground utilities.

Road improvements include resurfacing and reconstruction of city streets.

Regional storm water initiatives include ways to improve storm banks and water retention facilities. Public safety renovations include renovations to the LaGrange Police Department.

The department’s training room will be converted to office space for warrants, field training officers and crime suppression.

A storage area will also become property and evidence. Second floor renovations include converting the old jail facility into a community room with offices for community outreach and removing the old jail facility to allow space for the expansion of offices for the Special Investigations Unit. The third-floor renovations include a new video monitoring room and the removal of the old jail facility from the second floor allows for eight work stations for detectives.

It also increases the number of interview rooms. The changes will also include construction of a large garage to secure and house crime scene vehicles, the emergency services unit, a negotiator vehicle and a command post.

The location of the garage would be just north of the lower LaGrange Police Department parking deck.

City of Hogansville

Project Overview: Water, sewer and equipment ($1.2 million); roads, sidewalks and equipment ($1.2 million); recreation, parks and trails ($750,000); and city equipment ($350,000). Total cost: $3.5 million.

City of West Point

Project Overview: Roads and sidewalks ($2 million), parks ($1.5 million)

The $2 million in possible street projects include resurfacing, sidewalks and intersection improvements.