There are continued letters to the editor, comments at the BOC meetings, and emails sent about Jackson Lake Road and its designation as a SPLOST road.

Is Jackson Lake Road a SPLOST road or isn't it a SPLOST road?

In 2005 the Commissioners each chose 2 roads for SPLOST.  These roads were advertised and promoted so that citizens would vote for the 1 cent sales tax to fund these roads.   Here is a copy of the "SPLOST initiative" signed by then BOC Chairman Jack Bernard.

2005 SPLOST Initiative Letter

In 2006  the Commissioners then passed another resolution stating they would add more roads to the SPLOST list, but only UPON COMPLETION OF the first 10 roads listed in the 2005 Initiative were done.  This resolution was also signed by BOC Chairman Jack Bernard.

2006 SPLOST resolution

In 2008, after losing the election, lame duck commissioners voted to put Jackson Lake Road out for bids and use SPLOST funds.  While the newly elected commissioners were away at required training a special called meeting was held on 12/4/08, to vote to approve this contract.  The contract does say SHALL BE CONTINGENT UPON JASPER COUNTY RECEIVING FUNDING FROM GDOT STATE AID PROGRAM.  This contract was also based on estimates of $90,000 a month being received from SPLOST.  SPLOST funds averaged less than $60,000 per month in 2009 and the State Aid Grant was never received by Jasper County.  

2008 Contract to do Jackson Lake Road

There was so much controversy about this contract with the new board members, the engineer wrote a clarifying memo about it mentioning the State funding and the required amount of SPLOST money that had to be received to do BOTH the original roads and Jackson Lake Road.

Engineer's Memo Clarifying Contract

Read these documents for yourself.  You have the facts here to decide if you think SPLOST funds should be used for Jackson Lake Road before the first ten roads that were promised are finished.