By DAVE HAMRICK
dhamrick@TheCitizenNews.com

Fayette County taxpayers don't owe any long-term debt right now, but that's about to change when the county borrows about $60 million to build a new judicial complex.

And the new jail/courthouse complex is not the only blip on the county's financial horizon.

There are plans for four new fire stations, and major road projects like the widening of Ga. Highway 74 and Ga. Highway 54 in Peachtree City, not to mention a four-lane east Fayetteville bypass (see related story).

And while the state Department of Transportation will pay for the major road projects, the county is on the hook for right-of-way acquisition and utility relocation, and that's not small potatoes. The total cost for the Fayetteville bypass — federal, state and local — was estimated at $36 million, though that was several years ago and probably is low by today's standards.

New federal regulations may soon require the county to build facilities to chemically treat storm water runoff as if it were sewage, which could also involve big bucks.

Where will the money come from?

Having just completed their annual day-long planning retreat, county commissioners Saturday were able to dwell on that question just long enough to decide that another planning retreat is needed just to talk about developing a capital improvement plan.

A CIP currently exists, but it leaves out the central question: how to pay for the projects.

“We have always been able to put together a list of anticipated capital needs,” said county manager Billy Beckett during Saturday's meeting. “But a multi-year capital improvement program does no good unless you do identify specific methods of paying for it.”

Commissioners already are scratching their heads over the jail/courthouse project, and hope to decide on a method of funding by the end of this month.

For other major projects, as with the jail, there are four methods available: general obligation bonds, which are approved by the voters, paid back over 30 years and usually require a property tax increase; facilities authority bonds, which are issued by a special facilities authority and don't require a public vote; certificates of participation, state-backed bonds that cost a little less than general obligation bonds and don't require a public vote; and special purpose local option sales taxes, which have a history of being defeated by Fayette County voters.

Impact fees, which the county is studying, also can provide some help, and the county can put money aside in its operating budget for future projects.

Commissioner Herb Frady reminded commissioners during the retreat that he has repeatedly pushed for inclusion of a quarter-mill tax for capital projects in the county's annual budget discussions.

“If we don't start putting funds into some kind of road program, we're going to get beat over the head,” he said Saturday.

Commissioners said they want a special meeting to focus on future capital needs, but time is short, said finance director Emory McHugh. This year's budget talks are coming up shortly.

“The very first thing the board needs to do is develop a CIP [capital improvements program],” he said. “That's the thing that drives everything else [in the budget writing process].”

Commissioners promised to try and have a meeting before the end of March.