The Polk County Board of Commissioners have changed the initial recreation totals Rockmart, Cedartown and Aragon would get from the proposed 2014 SPLOST.

Instead of Cedartown and Rockmart receiving $675,000, both would get $500,000. Aragon’s total of $150,000 remains the same.

Rockmart city council members have signed off on the new proposal.

Mayor Curtis Lewis said City and County officials are enjoying a cooperative spirit and local children would benefit from $500,000 in recreation funds.

Prior to a vote by council members, Manager Jeff Ellis presented a refined list of projects for Rockmart’s portion of proposed SPLOST funds:

Municipal debt service (new complex), $2,100,000,

Municipal infrastructure improvements, $3,633,000,

Municipal pedestrian, bicycle and traffic improvements, $700,000,

Public lands, buildings and facilities, $500,000,

Recreation and park improvements, $500,000.

Ellis first suggested adding money for technology as a separate item. His idea would be to add Wi-Fi to hotspot areas in Rockmart where Parker FiberNet has run lines.

“Connecting would not be a problem along these lines,” Ellis said.

However, Councilman Bruce Bell said he did not want to dedicate SPLOST money to purchase of computers and similar items.

He was assured this was not the intent, so the group agreed to place the proposed funds as part of the total allocated for infrastructure improvements.

County Manager Clinton Lester, in a separate interview, said the intergovernmental agreements from the cities would not change the initial timeline for the proposed SPLOST.

Project lists and a signed agreement should be returned to the County by November 30.

Thereafter, the county board would adopt a resolution calling for the 2014 SPLOST.

It would appear on the ballot for approval or not during the Presidential Primary on March 6.

Projections – with moderate growth – are that this sales tax would bring $36,111,000 to local governmental coffers.

If approved, the percentage each would receive from the proposed 2014 SPLOST is:

County 53.72 percent - $19,399,000

Cedartown 24.84 percent - $8,970,000

Rockmart 20.03 percent - $7,233,000

Aragon 1.41 - $509,000

If the cities do not sign intergovernmental agreements, Lester said, the Polk County Board of Commissioners – on December 6 - could still call for the 2014 SPLOST.

Excluding Rockmart, the proposed general lists include:

Aragon: Use proceeds to purchase big equipment, such as police cars, fire and garbage trucks.

Cedartown: Debt service, infrastructure and improvements (streets, sidewalks and sewer), public safety equipment and vehicles, public works, lands, buildings, facilities and equipment and technology.

Polk: Countywide recreation, public infrastructure and improvements, transportation, public safety and public works equipment and vehicles, county buildings, facilities and equipment and technology (hardware and software) and economic development.