Pierce County voters will go to the polls next Tuesday, March 18, to decide on extending the county’s special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST).
Polls will be open from 7 a.m-7 p.m. Tuesday, March 18, at the Pierce County Gym and at Eagle Station in Patterson.
Advanced/early voting will be held from 8:30 a.m.5 p.m. through this Friday, March 14. There will be no advance/early voting on Monday, March 17.
Advance and early voting will take place at the Board of Elections and Registration, 312 Nichols Street, Blackshear.
So far, few voters have cast ballots in the referendum, which is the only item to be decided in the election.
If approved, the 2026 SPLOST is expected to generate $18 million over the next six years.
The current SPLOST was approved by voters in 2019 and is set to expire later this year. The 2019 SPLOST was expected to collect $14.4 million over six years.
Proceeds from the tax will be divided between the county and cities roughly based on population.
The county will receive the bulk of the funds at 65.37 percent. Blackshear gets 24.7 percent, Patterson, 6.89 percent, and Offerman gets 3.04 percent.
The county is projected to receive $11.75 million of the SPLOST proceeds. It split its share of the revenues for road construction and maintenance ($5.88 million), public safety capital improvements and maintenance ($3.52 million) and cultural and recreational facilities ($2.35 million).
Fourth district Commissioner David Lowman said the cultural and recreational facilities funds will go toward expansion of the recreation complex on County Farm Road and renovations at Ware Street. (See related story.)
Blackshear will receive approximately $4.45 million from the proposed SPLOST. Blackshear’s list of projects include road maintenance and construction ($889,920), water and sewer construction and maintenance ($1,778,400), public safety ($1,111,500), recreation/historical/downtown ($222,300) and facility construction/improvements ($444,600).
Patterson is projected to receive $1.24 million from the proposed SPLOST.
Patterson’s proposed project list includes water and sewer ($621,000), public safety and downtown development ($185,000 apiece), Eagle Station ($162,000), road and street construction ($61,200) and recreational facilities ($25,000).
Offerman is projected to receive $547,200 under the proposed SPLOST. The city has divided the money it will receive between road and street improvements and recreation and cultural uses at $273,600 apiece.
