$38 Million In Pipeline To Columbia County

(Columbia County, Georgia)—Columbia County is continuing to grow, and with that growth, the need to expand.

Under a previous sales tax package, a new Georgia State Patrol post is going up on Chamblin Road…next door, a new recycling center.

And voters have approved $180 million in sales tax money for other projects. Parts of the projects are bonded and will be paid for with $38 million in bonds.

Scott Johnson, Deputy County Administrator, Columbia County: “It also allows us to go forward with projects, now, while the economy is still struggling a little bit, but allows us to put an immediate influx of $38 million back into our community through building with contractors with supplies and those sort of things, so it’s almost like having our own economic stimulus package here in Columbia County.”

Under the 2011 to 2016 special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST, the Columbia County Detention Center will be expanded, the Animal Care and Control Center will be replaced by a larger, more modern center, and there will be a new Health Department center built to replace satellite locations throughout the county, to improve service. Both will be built on Chamblin Road.

Johnson: “All these projects will start immediately. We will actually be travelling to Atlanta, next week, to finish out the bond process and at that time, we will have the money coming to be able to start those projects, immediately.”

Due to the county’s top notch bond rating, Columbia County taxpayers will save $2 million in interest because the county was able to borrow the money at a cheaper rate.