TSPLOST on November ballot for Chatham Co. voters

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - If you’re a Chatham County voter, you’ve got more than just candidates on your ballot this November.

You also have the chance to vote for or against a TSPLOST, or transportation special local option sales tax. It’s a one-cent tax on sales within the county.

If voters pass the TSPLOST, city of Savannah officials say there are numerous roads projects within the city that will be funded by it, including improvements to Louisville Road behind me here.

County wide, the TSPLOST is expected to raise $420 million dollars over five years. The City of Savannah is set to get more than $143 million from that.

Big ticket items include $41.5 million for addressing congestion on busy roads... more than $24 million for improving Benton Boulevard, a regional project, as well as $20 million for road resurfacing.

City leaders say it’s about addressing the rapid growth of the city.

“I think the thing that would benefit the general public, our citizenry, is to understand how Savannah is growing, and the challenges that we have. Obviously, we are a growing city. With a growing city, you have the challenges of infrastructure,” said Savannah Assistant City Manager Heath Lloyd.

If the TSPLOST is passed, collection starts in April. We could see some of those projects started by Fall 2023.

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