Parks, Public Works Directors Meet With SPLOST Committee
Friday, October 6th, 2023
Last week, the special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) citizen advisory committee began weekly meetings with City of Dalton and Whitfield County (WC) department heads to review projects for the 2024 SPLOST referendum.
The committee consists of residents appointed by board members of the Whitfield County Commissioners, and 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, an additional 1% sales tax will be placed on most goods sold in the county to pay for the approved projects.
City of Dalton Recreation Director Caitlin Sharpe and Whitfield County Recreation Director
Brian Chastain were first to present to the committee.
Sharpe requested funding for: Heritage Point Park improvements, Al Rollins Park renovations, Broaddus-Durkan Soccer Complex, a pickle-ball complex, Mill Line connection to downtown Dalton, James Brown Park improvements, and a dog park for a total of $18.7M.
Chastain requested: Parking and walking track lighting at Edwards Park, shade structures at all WC parks, walking track paving, landscaping equipment, fence repair, and a Westside Park Community Center for a total of $6M.
The local Recreation Departments are known nationwide for providing the best experience for organizations like Perfect Game, PSA, Premier Girls Fastpitch, and Connect Sports, who have all named Whitfield County as their designated location in this region for tournaments. It is estimated that 45,000 people come to the community on an average of 35 weekends of the year with up to 60 teams. The Dalton Convention and Visitors Bureau’s conservative estimate is that people who visit out of town will spend, on average, $55 per person. That is an additional $2M in local economic impact.
On Tuesday, City of Dalton Public Works Director Chad Townsend and Whitfield County Engineer Kent Benson presented projects to maintain and improve the local infrastructure.
Townsend requested funding for: Underwood Street bridge replacement, N. Thornton Ave sidewalk project, annual resurfacing program, stormwater infrastructure improvements, S. Thornton and E. Morris corridor improvements, and sidewalk network expansion around schools for a total of $31.8M.
Benson requested: Reed Rd improvements from N. Bypass to state route (SR) 201, SR 71 to Gillum Dr drainage project, Underwood Rd. improvement from N. Bypass to Dawnville Rd., Old LaFayette/Houston Valley Rd at SR 201 intersection, N. Reed Rd from SR 201 to Lake Kathy Rd., Brickyard Rd. from S. Dixie Hwy to S. Hamilton ext., S. Dixie at Industrial Blvd and Foster Rd., equipment and vehicles, culvert/bridges, and paving for a total of $50.7M.
Maintaining local infrastructure is critical for any community. Roads and bridges serve as vital ways of transportation by connecting rural and urban areas and supporting economic activities. Neglected or deteriorating infrastructure poses hazards such as potholes, and erosion that can result in accidents and injuries. A well-maintained road enhances accessibility and convenience, making areas more attractive to residents and businesses.
The 2020 SPLOST will sunset in October of 2024. These funds provided the renovations at John Davis Recreation Center, the construction of Riverbend Park, Rocky Face Ridge Park, WC Fire Station 12, two soccer fields at Heritage Point Park, and many road paving and repair projects across the county.
For more information on SPLOST please visit: https://www.whitfieldcountyga.com/splost/splost.htm
