DeKalb CEO Touts SPLOST Benefits

DECATUR, GA -- DeKalb CEO Michael Thurmond held a news conference Wednesday morning to tout a special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) bill that could be used a number of ways to benefit the county.

"This SPLOST gives us an opportunity to redefine who we are," Thurmond said at the lectern before residents.

The Georgia General Assembly approved the measure on May 8, but it is up to DeKalb residents to vote on its use via referendum. The SPLOST is projected to add more than $665 million to the county's coffers over six years.

Thurmond said that spending the money wisely will "ultimately be my responsiblity," adding "I promise you that we will get this done and we will get it done in a way that every citizen will be proud of."

Thurmond has mentioned that the county could use the money in several areas, including on capital projects and toward DeKalb's deteriorating roads. SIGN UP: To get notified of more local news like this, click here to sign up for the Decatur Patch. Or find your Atlanta-area town here. Or, if you have an iPhone, download the free Patch app.

Thurmond's address comes as the county grapples with increased scrutiny of its road conditions by the local media. The news conference took place at 10 a.m. at Maloof Auditorium, 1300 Commerce Drive in Decatur.

Image via DeKalb County government