Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Bartow, Floyd, Gordon chambers issue joint support of T-SPLOST referendum

Media release: The Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce, Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce and

the Gordon County Chamber of Commerce jointly endorsed the 2012 Transportation Referendum (T-SPLOST) at a joint

press conference on Wednesday at the intersection of US 41 and GA 140.

The T-SPLOST is a one cent sales tax aimed at creating roads that lead to jobs. This tax will be collected over a 10 year

period. In total, the tax will raise approximately $1.49 billion for transportation projects and generate close to 40,175

jobs for the Northwest Georgia region.

Better transportation routes allow for the creation of additional jobs for local residents. The Federal Highway

Administration estimates that every $1 billion invested in highway construction and improvements supports 27,823 jobs

and generates up to $2.5 billion in direct and indirect economic activity. Based on the amount of T-SPLOST dollars spent

on road projects in each community, the T-SPLOST would create approximately 4,730 jobs in Bartow County, 3,478 jobs in

Floyd County, and 1,669 jobs in Gordon County over the 10 year period.

"The number of jobs this referendum will create is crucial to our community, and our region. We need to stand

together and show our region the importance of transportation in creating jobs," said Cartersville-Bartow County

Chamber of Commerce Chairman Bruce Thompson, Allstate-Thompson Group.

This initiative will fund many of the region's major transportation needs including the US 411 to Interstate

75 Connector Route D-VE, the South Calhoun Bypass with the I-75 interchange at Union Grove Road, significant

improvements to GA 140 in both Bartow and Floyd Counties, and Cass-White Road at I-75 Interchange Reconstruction

among numerous other valuable transportation projects.

"Better transportation, job creation, economic and community development and improved quality of life...All this for

just a penny, I encourage everyone to vote YES for the TSPLOST," said Gordon County Chamber of Commerce Chairman of

the Board David Scoggins, Winter & Scoggins, CPAs, PC.

Each community will also receive 25-percent of the collected tax as discretionary funds. These funds for the first year

of collection total approximately $3.16 million for Bartow County, $1.93 million for Gordon County, and $2.89 million for

Floyd County. These funds can be used by each community for transportation-related functions such as resurfacing roads

and sidewalks.

"We are standing in support of this transportation referendum to show the strength in working together. The T-SPLOST

is a region wide initiative that will truly find its success from us working collaboratively," said Greater Rome Chamber

of Commerce Chairman Angie Lewis, President & CEO, Citizens First Bank, a division of Synovus Bank. "Local business

and industry members need these roads to deliver their customers and employees and to get their products to market.

Having greater transportation access to major routes positions each community to be more attractive for the recruitment

of new industry and new jobs."###

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