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THE CSRA REGIONAL COMMISSION PROVIDED STAFF SUPPORT ONLY
TO THE TRANSPORTATON INVESTMENT ACT OF 2010'S
REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION ROUNDTABLE
THE CSRA REGIONAL COMMISSION
IS NOT AN ADVOCATE
FOR OR AGAINST THE REFERENDUM
THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION IS PROVIDED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY
FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT
ConnectGeorgia2012 at info@connectgeorgia2012.com
TIA2010 INVESTMENT LIST:
Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (TIA10)
The Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (TIA10) was signed into law by Governor Sonny Perdue on June 2, 2010. Presented for the Governor’s signature as House Bill 277, TIA10 puts the future of Georgia’s transportation system in voter’s hands. During primary elections in 2012, citizens of Georgia’s 12 special transportation districts will be asked to vote on a ballot question to levy a one percent sales and use tax to fund transportation projects in their regions.
Special District Sales and Use Tax
TIA10 provides the parameters for the optional levy of a one percent sales and use tax to fund transportation projects in Georgia’s 12 special transportation districts. The 2012 ballot question asking voters in each district to approve the tax would provide for funding of specific transportation projects of regional and state-wide importance. Such projects are compiled by each district’s “regional transportation roundtable" in coordination with GDOT's Director of Planning. The tax would also provide local governments in each participating district with discretionary funds for additional local transportation improvements. Approval of the tax levy by voters would provide transportation funding for a period of 10 years beginning in 2013. For estimated revenues of the TIA10 special district sales and use tax by district click here.
The 12 special transportation districts established by TIA10 correspond to the pre-existing boundaries of the state of Georgia’s Regional Commissions. As such, the CSRA special transportation district includes the following 13 counties: Burke, Columbia, Glascock, Hancock, Jefferson, Jenkins, Lincoln, McDuffie, Richmond, Taliaferro, Warren, Washington and Wilkes. Approval of the 2012 ballot question to levy a one percent sales and use tax for transportation projects in the region will require the approval of over 50 percent of participating registered voters throughout the district. No county in the district may opt out of the vote. Further, the failure of the ballot question in any one or more county does not mean the overall failure of the initiative so long as district-wide approval exceeds 50 percent. The outcome of the ballot question in one (1) special transportation district does not affect the state’s other 11 districts.
For more information on the special district sales and use tax click here.
Local Oversight of TIA10
CSRA Regional Transportation Roundtable
The CSRA Regional Transportation Roundtable (RTR) establishes the criteria for, and approves the final list of, transportation projects subject to funding by a voter-approved one percent special district sales and use tax. Consistent with TIA10, the CSRA RTR consists of the chair of each county commission, and one (1) mayor from each county (as selected by all the mayors in that county).
Executive Committee, CSRA Regional Transportation Roundtable
The CSRA RTR selects five (5) of its own members to serve on an Executive Committee. These five (5) voting members of the Executive Committee are joined by three (3) non-voting members – including two (2) members of the Georgia House of Representatives selected by the chair of the House Transportation Committee, and one (1) member of the Georgia Senate selected by the Chairperson of the Senate Transportation Committee. The principal responsibility of the Executive Committee is to develop the transportation project list to be considered by the entire CSRA RTR.
The members of the CSRA RTR Executive Committee are:
Voting Members:
- Chairman Ron Cross, Columbia County (Executive Committee Chair)
- Chairman James Henry, Jenkins County
- Commissioner Joe Jackson, Augusta-Richmond County
- Chairman Sam Moore, Wilkes County
- Mayor Ken Usry, City of Thomson
Non-Voting Members:
- Representative Lee Anderson (Georgia House District #117)
- Representative Barbara Sims (Georgia House District #119)
- Senator Hardie Davis (Georgia Senate District #22)
Other Provisions of TIA10
In addition to providing for a sales and use tax within the CSRA and other regions of Georgia, TIA10 includes provisions to establish committees to oversee other aspects of Georgia transportation system.
Citizens Review Panel
Within those special transportation districts where voters approve the levy of a one percent sales and use tax, TIA requires the creation of a Citizens Review Panel. Each district’s Citizens Review Panel will review, make recommendations, and report on the progress of transportation projects funded by the special district transportation sales and use tax. Citizen Review Panels will further monitor projects completed utilizing special district transportation sales and use taxes, and produce an annual report examining the public benefits of each project. Citizens Review Panels for each district will be composed of three (3) citizens appointed by the Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives, and two (2) citizens appointed by the Lieutenant Governor. Each Citizens Review Panel will meet at least three (3) times each year at a time and location to be determined by the Panel members.
Georgia Coordinating Committee for Rural and Human Services Transportation
TIA10 creates the Georgia Coordinating Committee for Rural and Human Services Transportation of the Governor’s Development Council, and the State Advisory Subcommittee for Rural and Human Services Transportation. These committees are jointly responsible for examining and providing an annual review report of state-wide rural and human services transportation services to ensure efficient program delivery. The committees’ annual report will recommend ways to avoid duplication of transportation services while seeking additional methods to save service costs and improve service delivery to users. The committees’ preliminary report is due annually on July 1 – with final report due to the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget by September 1. Submittal of the final report to the Georgia General Assembly is required no later than January 15 of each year.
Provisions for Metropolitan Atlanta
TIA10 includes provisions which are applicable only to communities in metropolitan Atlanta. The Act has legislated changes to MARTA – including the Board of Directors – and, creates a Transit Governance Study Commission to evaluate the traffic congestion issues of the greater Atlanta transportation system. The Commission’s study shall consider the feasibility of combining all metropolitan Atlanta public transportation entities into an integrated regional transit body, and propose language for legislation supporting its recommendations.
Additional Resources
Legislation
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