Georgia voters on July 31 widely rejected the state’s pitch for a penny sales tax increase that could have delivered as much as $18.7 billion in funding for transportation. The Transportation Investment Act measure did pass in three of the state’s 12 regions, however, providing roadbuilders a modest boost in funding, estimated by the Georgia Dept. of Transportation at roughly $1.8 billion over the next 10 years.
Numerous state and local politicians had lined up in favor of the increase, including Republican Gov. Nathan Deal and Atlanta Mayor Kasim Reed. But the Georgia Tea Party opposed the measure vigorously, calling the proposal the largest tax increase in the state’s history. Opponents also questioned whether the added funding would actually ease Atlanta’s congestion woes. The Sierra Club and the Georgia NAACP had also lined up against the effort.