Patti Dozier/Times-EnterpriseCity Manager Steve Sykes addresses Thomasville City Council and city department heads at the Wednesday morning SPLOST priorities meeting.

THOMASVILLE — Nothing is written in stone about what the City of Thomasville will do with revenue from a Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) to be voted on in November, but city council members prioritized projects Wednesday morning.

The council and city department heads met at City Hall for three hours and voted on a priority project list.

The No. 1 priority, which received 30 votes, is Remington Avenue street improvements at an estimated cost of $2.7 million. If approved, the project would include underground utilities, piping of ditches, a bike/walk trail, landscaping, road improvements and stormwater runoff work.

The Remington project, which does not involve widening, is proposed from Kern Street to Pinetree Boulevard, but could be shortened if money is not available for the proposed stretch.

With 27 votes, passive park improvements came in second at $2 million. The proposed figure was $4 million, but officials suggested decreasing the amount to allow for other SPLOST-funded city projects.

The projected six-year SPLOST revenue going to the city would be about $17 million. Proposed priorities exceed projected revenue, City Manager Steve Sykes said after the Wednesday session.

At third place, with 23 votes, is a Thomasville Fire/Rescue ladder truck, a $1 million expenditure. Fire/Rescue Chief Chris Bowman said the ladder truck in use now was purchased in 2001 and has about 70,000 miles.

“The technology has advanced far beyond 2001,” Bowman said.

A public safety training facility — at $1.5 million with 20 votes — came in fourth. Thomasville Police Department’s firing range will be consumed by an expanding landfill in six to eight years. The Thomas County Sheriff’s Office firing range will be lost when a public firing range opens at the former training range site.

Police Chief Troy Rich said a range should be a facility used by police, sheriff’s office and police departments in Thomas County’s smaller municipalities. The proposed facility would include classrooms.

Installation of underground utilities with a $2 million price tag on major corridors also received 20 votes. 

In fifth place with 17 votes, proposed SPLOST funding toward an events center was at $10 million before being reduced to $4 million.

Council member Max Beverly said SPLOST is the perfect method for funding an events center, but not at the $17 million level mentioned in earlier talks.

Other priorities are:

• Stormwater improvements — $1.7 million

• Street resurfacing — $2 million.

• Resurfacing of East and West Jackson streets — $1.25 million

• Sidewalk installation — $1.3 million

• Countywide recreation — $700,000, reduced from $1.5 million

• Municipal auditorium renovations — $2 million

• Recycling facility — $700,000

• Bike/walk trail — $1 million, reduced from $4 million

• Historic lighting — $200,000

City council members will meet at 4 p.m Wednesday, June 21, to discuss a final priority list.

Thomas County government and the smaller municipalities also will receive SPLOST revenue based on population.

Senior reporter Patti Dozier can be reached at (229) 226-2400, ext. 1820