ATLANTA – State Representative Alex Atwood (R-St. Simons) announced today the introduction of House Bill 814, a SPLOST reform bill that would increase public oversight of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) funds and the voter approved projects those funds support. Under the new bill, state courts and the Attorney General would have the power to enforce these requirements.
“Local governments must be held accountable for the tax dollars they spend on SPLOST projects,” said Rep. Atwood. “SPLOSTs allow voters to decide whether they want to be taxed to support a very specific project, but once their approval is given, voters have very little oversight in assuring that their hard earned money is used appropriately. HB 814 would rectify this by allowing voters to see exactly how much money their tax generates and how that money is used.”
Georgia currently requires local governments to maintain a record of all projects that receive any funds from SPLOST proceeds and to publish a simple report of those records in a local newspaper by December 31 of each year. If the SPLOST funds are used for roads or bridges, the annual report must show the original estimated cost of each project, the current estimated cost if it is different than the original estimate, the amount of SPLOST funds spent in prior years, and the amount of SPLOST funds spent during the current year. If a project is underfunded or behind schedule, there must also be a statement about the future actions of the project.
HB 814 builds on the existing oversight provisions by requiring local governments to also disclose any surplus funds that have not been expended for an approved project, the estimated date of completion for the approved projects, and the actual cost of completed projects.
To enforce compliance with the oversight provisions, HB 814 also authorizes state superior courts to grant injunctions or other equitable relief for SPLOST projects when necessary. Additionally, the legislation allows the Attorney General to bring either civil or criminal enforcement proceedings.
For more information about HB 814, please click here.
Representative Alex Atwood represents the citizens of District 179, which includes portions of Glynn County. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2010, and currently serves on the Information and Audits, Insurance, and Judiciary – Non-Civil committees.
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