Local Municipalities Present Projects To SPLOST Committee

On Thursday, October 26^th, the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) citizen advisory committee continued hearing local priority projects from representatives of Municipalities in Whitfield County.

The SPLOST committee consists of residents appointed by board members of the Whitfield County Commissioners, and the council members of the cities of Dalton, Varnell, Tunnel Hill, and Cohutta. The committee’s purpose is to recommend projects to the elected officials that are representative of the community’s goals. If the SPLOST passes, the existing 1% sales tax will continue to be collected on most goods sold in the county to pay for the approved projects.

Tunnel Hill City Administrator, Blake Griffin, presented three priority projects: installation of sidewalks along Tunnel Hill Varnell Road and sewer expansion, recreational park improvements, and police vehicles.

The proposed sidewalk project is for a 1.7-mile installation along Tunnel Hill Varnell Road that will connect parks and businesses. Tunnel Hill is seeking federal grants to accompany SPLOST funds for the sidewalks. Griffin also proposed revitalization of recreational parks and restoration of playgrounds. “Our first priorities are the playgrounds and adding other recreational courts,” added Griffin. And like the City of Dalton and Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office, Tunnel Hill is asking to purchase equipped police vehicles. Griffin’s proposed project total is $490K.

Town of Cohutta Mayor Ron Shinnick presented seven priority projects: a new trash truck, renovations of town hall and recreation areas, construction of public restrooms, buildings and grounds equipment, and public safety improvements.

The Town of Cohutta has experienced a lot of growth in the past few years. “We are not only seeing growth in residential homes, but in businesses as well,” said Shinnick. With growth, comes the needs for upgrades and improvements. Cohutta does not currently have a trash service, so city employees are picking up residents’ trash in a 20-year Ford F150. With downtown Cohutta being a hotspot for events, public restrooms have increasingly become a need. Mayor Shinnick’s proposed projects total $725K.

The City of Varnell council member, Bill Caylor, proposed three priority projects: police vehicles, developing a park for the city, and replacing HVAC units in the community center and city hall.

The City of Varnell plans to construct a recreational park equipped with an amphitheater, pavilion, and sidewalks. “Replacing HVAC units in the community center and city hall are also a priority,” said Caylor. Varnell is also seeking to replace eight police vehicles within the four-year plan. Caylor’s proposed projects total $1.5M.