Walker County voters will decide on sales tax increase

WALKER COUNTY, Ga. (WDEF) — Voters in Walker County will get to decide whether they want a 1% sales tax increase. Money from that will go towards fixing roads.

Driving along Veeler Road in Walker County, you’ll notice wear and tear. Residents say there are several roads like this in need of repair.

“Most of them look horrible. If you ride on the back roads you can’t even see the lines in the roads. So that is a danger to people driving,” Cheree Gaskey said.

Voters will get to decided on a Transportation Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax, or TSPLOST. It will call for a 1% sales tax increase with funds going towards transportation projects, like paving roads.

“I think if they use that money to fix the roads that is a wonderful idea. Because we need some lines on the road. There are so many dips and cracks like that needs to be fixed,” Lisa Walker said.

Walker County Commissioner Shannon Whitfield says the additional sales tax will allow for projects that are long overdue.

“Our bridges and roads have been neglected for many years and we just don’t have the current revenue to work on those. So this 1% sales tax will help us get the money over a five year time period to work on many of these bridges and roads. And it won’t burden the property owners,” Whitfield said.

Residents say this comes at an inconvenient time, right after a property tax hike, but they understand.

“It is annoying, but it is not Shannon Whitfield’s fault. He is having to make up for what Bebe did. She just got us in debt, bought all this property. He is having to do something to climb us out of all of this debt that she caused,” Walker said.

As for the possible sales tax increase, people are hoping this will help turn a corner, when it comes to bad roads.