Sen. Hamrick Appointed to Three Rivers Transportation Roundtable

ATLANTA (January 28, 2011) – State Sen. Jeff Mullis (R-Chickamauga), chairman of the Senate Transportation Committee, has selected State Sen. Bill Hamrick (R-Carrollton)  to serve as the Senate appointee to the Three Rivers Transportation Roundtable.  As designated by the Transportation Investment Act of 2010 (House Bill 277), each roundtable will be charged with vetting and proposing specific transportation projects for their region which would be funded by a voter-approved transportation special local option sales tax (T-SPLOST) referendum to be held in 2012.

“I look forward to working closely with our community to help develop and enhance the Three Rivers region.  This transportation roundtable will create a transportation project list that effectively uses our resources with a limited role of government,” said Hamrick.  “This long-awaited step in transportation development will better connect our communities, offer necessary relief from traffic congestion and provide our state with a competitive edge to attract new businesses to our communities.”

“Senator Hamrick has been an outstanding leader who understands the urgent need to build a 21^st Century transportation system here in Georgia to compete in a global economy,” said Mullis.  “I am extremely proud to appoint Senator Hamrick to his local roundtable.  He will be an invaluable asset in developing area-specific projects that fit their region’s most pressing needs for transportation improvements and expansion, yet tie into an overall statewide vision which will grow our economy and bring much-needed jobs and businesses to Georgia.  It is time we get Georgia moving forward and I am grateful Senator Hamrick will be playing an integral role in doing so.”

Passed during the 2010 General Assembly, HB 277 is a comprehensive transportation funding package that includes voter approval on regional projects, funding those projects, and proper checks and balances for use of taxpayer dollars.  If approved by the voters in a referendum, this legislation provides for a 1 percent regional transportation sales and use tax to be imposed for a period of ten years in 12 newly created special tax districts based upon the 12 existing regional commission boundaries.

Each of the regional roundtables will consist of every county chair and one mayor from each county in that region, who will them form an executive committee which will consult with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and their planning director to form a potential transportation project list for each region.  Once a final list has been approved by the roundtable, it will then go before the voters in the region for a July 2012 referendum vote.

# # # #

Sen. Bill Hamrick serves as Chairman of the Judiciary Committee. He represents the 30^th Senate District which includes portions of Carroll, Douglas, and Paulding counties.  He may be reached at 404.656.0036 or via e-mail at bill.hamrick@senate.ga.gov.