Vidalia Main Street
A Great Place to Stop,
Shop, Eat and Play
DESTINATION
VIDALIA MAIN STREET & BEYOND
Take a look around…the City of Vidalia
is growing right before our eyes! Whether
it’s retail and commercial development or
new construction being done by the city,
Vidalia is growing! Visitors to the Sweet
Onion City are taking notice and we hope
you are too!
However, with all of the growth comes
questions. The most frequent question
that I am asked is: “Where is the money
coming from?” The answer is: “It depends
on what project someone is asking about.”
Often, the assumption is that every
project is being paid for by tax dollars,
which is true; however, most also assume
that all tax dollars are generated by
property taxes. So, to answer the general
question about where the money comes
from to pay for the projects undertaken
by the City of Vidalia, consideration has
to be given to the type of project and how
the “tax dollars” are generated. There are
different types of tax dollar categories that
fund the various projects undertaken by
the city.
For instance, the new aquatics facility
on Airport Road and the Historic Pal
Theatre in downtown, are being funded by
Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax
dollars (SPLOST). SPLOST is a one (1)
cent sales tax that every consumer pays
when making a purchase at a local store
in Toombs County. That means for every
dollar spent in retail shops, department
stores, convenience stores, restaurants,
etc. in Toombs County, 1% of the 8%
sales tax paid is SPLOST revenue. People
contribute to SPLOST whether they
reside out-of-state or in a neighboring
county. The City of Vidalia averages
$150,000.00 per month in SPLOST
revenue. Some recently completed
SPLOST projects are the renovation of
the Ed Smith Complex, purchasing police
cars, and resurfacing of the Municipal
Annex parking lot. In the near future, we
will utilize SPLOST funding to renovate
City Hall, finish the Vidalia Regional
Sports Complex, resurface city streets,
and provide funding to complete the
$750,000.00 Bay Street Community
Development Block Grant (CDBG) among
others.
Another type of tax revenue is the
Transportation Investment Act (TIA) Tax
that was initiated in the Heart of Georgia
Altamaha Region. TIA funding is a one
(1) cent sales tax as well that everyone
contributes to when making a purchase
in the Heart of Georgia Altamaha Region.
Currently, TIA is funding the construction
of the connector from Mose Coleman
Drive to Ezra Taylor Road. That project
is already showing signs of a positive
impact on the city with the beginning
stages of the construction of a new hotel.
Some recently completed TIA projects
are Adams Street and the new entrance
into the Vidalia Regional Airport. In the
near future, we will utilize TIA funding
to extend Michael Collins Drive, improve
railroad crossings in the city as well as
other street and road improvements.
Property tax, a tax on personal
property in the City of Vidalia, makes
up only about sixteen percent (16%) of
the city’s $8.6 million dollar budget or
$1,376,000. These funds are utilized
to pay salaries, electricity bills, and
information technology, among other
general operating costs. Did you know
that the last time property taxes were
raised was in 1992? (That’s 25 years
without a property tax increase!) Though
costs to operate the city have risen
significantly since that time, Mayor Dixon,
the City Council, and city staff have been
frugal with the money that you have
entrusted them with over the years.
Because of you, the voters, SPLOST
and TIA projects are funded by sales tax
paid every time a purchase is made in
Toombs County. Your support of these
additional funding mechanisms allows
growth and progress in the city without
the necessity of raising property taxes
on those who own property in the City
of Vidalia. Your decision that progress is
in the best interest of the City of Vidalia
has allowed growth here that many towns
in rural Georgia have not experienced. I
encourage you to continue to support the
progress and growth in the Sweet Onion
City by voting for these one (1) cent sales
taxes!
A Growing City:
Where’s the
Funding Coming
From?
by Nick Overstreet, Vidalia City Manager
94 Toombs County Magazine