The Columbia County Chamber Political Action Committee endorses the Columbia County SPLOST Referendum to renew the current SPLOST that expires at the end of 2022.

The SPLOST includes projects that are important to the community’s safety as well as projects that maintain the quality of life residents have become accustomed to enjoying. Some of the key categories of projects include:

• Public Safety and Emergency Services
• Parks and Community Services
• Economic Development for Job Growth
• Information and Technology
• Stormwater Improvements
• Transportation

• SPLOST is NOT a new tax
  The SPLOST on the ballot is simply a renewal of the county SPLOST that is expiring at the end of 2023. Nothing will change from the current sales tax rates we experience in Columbia County.
• Most Fair Way of Paying for Community Projects
  County residents benefit from SPLOST because it collects money from transient dollars spent in our county. With an influx of visitors from across the world every April and residents from surrounding counties visiting our county throughout the year to shop, we are able to pay for projects and necessary equipment that would otherwise come from higher millage rates on county properties.
• Safety First
  Our County is experiencing exceptional growth. In order to keep up with the growth and to keep our residents safe, we must pass SPLOST. The project list includes multiple new and replacement fire engines, new fire stations, a new fire rescue training complex, and facility improvements for our world-class Sheriff’s training facility.
• Parks and Quality of Life
  We have some of the best parks around but there aren’t enough to support the usage. Parks like Patriots have already experienced more than 650,000 visitors through the first eight months of 2022. By making improvements to current parks and building new parks, we can increase our ability to support the usage and ultimately reduce traffic by putting parks closer to the residents that use them.
• Creating Jobs for our Future
  SPLOST would continue to invest in land acquisition and infrastructure improvements to attract more companies that will offer jobs for our growing workforce.

SPLOST Statistics
Total Projected Value from 2023 through 2028: $288,000,000
Collection Rate: Sales tax of $0.01 for every $1 spent
Average Household Income for Columbia County: $82,000*
Average Household Spending per Year on Taxable Goods: 25% ($20,500)**
Average Cost Per Household: $205 per year

*U.S. Census Bureau
**U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

Download SPLOST Signs:
Support Parks - Renew SPLOST
Create New Jobs - Renew SPLOST