Government agencies, nonprofits and individual citizens have submitted 88 (!) requests for funding from the 1 percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The projects add up to about $1.2 billion. Problem is, the tax will raise less than a quarter of that amount over 10 years.

A citizens advisory committee is listening to presentations on each project and will make a preliminary recommendation to the ACC Mayor and Commission in April, with the commission expected to make a final decision on the project list in August. The list—and renewing the tax—will go before voters in November. (The projects listed below are not numbered by priority.) 

In the meantime, Flagpole can’t possibly write in-depth about each project, so we’d like to hear from readers about which ones deserve more coverage. Email [email protected] or comment on this article to let us know.

(Editor's note: After this article was published, Athens-Clarke County released more detailed information on each project. Project descriptions are available here.)

1. Airport Capital Improvement Plan
Proposed by: ACC Airport
Cost: $5,257,000

2. Animal Shelter Renovations
Proposed by: ACC Central Services Department
Cost: $559,000

3. Facilities Life Cycle Equipment/Systems Replacement Program
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $10,506,000

4. Gateway and Corridor Visual Enhancements
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $2,920,000

5. New Judicial Center—Building Construction
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $70,585,000

6. New Judicial Center—Optional Parking Deck
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $11,360,000

7. New Judicial Center—Renovate Old Courthouse for Municipal Functions
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $9,388,000

8. New Municipal Building—Building Construction
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $45,625,000

9. New Municipal Building—Old Courthouse Security Improvements
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $5,996,000

10. New Municipal Building—Optional Parking Deck
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $9,293,000

11. Public Safety Vehicles Replacement Program
Proposed by: Central Services
Cost: $18,726,000

12. New Corrections Facility
Proposed by: ACC Corrections Department
Cost: $16,408,000

13. Areawide Stormwater Improvement Program
Proposed by: ACC Transportation and Public Works Department
Cost: $18,727,000

14. Bicycle Improvements Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $13,522,000

15. Bridge Improvement Program
Proposed by: TPW

Cost: $1,564,000

16. Fire Station Signal Preemption
Proposed by: TPW

Cost: $1,147,000

17. Intersection Improvement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $14,564,000

18. Live Stream Pipe Replacement Program
Proposed by: TPW

Cost: $22,259,000

19. Local, State, Federal Matching Project
Proposed by: TPW

Cost: $5,202,000

20. North Avenue Bridge Replacement and Intersection Project
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $11,325,000

21. Pavement Rehabilitation
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $17,445,000

22. Pedestrian Improvements Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $11,443,000

23. Regional Stormwater Facilities
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $9,821,000

24. Sign Replacement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $6,469,000

25. Smart City Transportation Project
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $5,203,000

26. Traffic Calming Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $4,163,000

27. Traffic Signal Replacement Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $17,574,000

28. Vision Zero Program
Proposed by: TPW
Cost: $6,242,000

29. Industrial and Commercial Product Development
Proposed by: ACC Economic Development Department
Cost: $46,930,000

30. Innovation Infrastructure
Proposed by: Economic Development
Cost: $36,018,000

31. Emergency Operations Center
Proposed by: ACC Fire Department
Cost: $1,421,000

32. Fire Department Equipment
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $4,830,000

33. Fire Department Training Center Improvements
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $4,085,000

34. Hazard Mitigation Strategies
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $5,404,000

35. Headquarters, Fire Station 1, Apparatus Maintenance Shop
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $14,679,000

36. Replacement of Fire Station 5
Proposed by: Fire Department
Cost: $6,444,000

37. High Speed Wireless Broadband
Proposed by: ACC Information Technology Department
Cost: $6,800,000

38. Bishop Park Renovations: Phase 1
Proposed by: ACC Leisure Services Department
Cost: $17,613,000

39. Memorial Park Renovations: Phase 1
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $7,884,000

40. Parks Facilities Improvements
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $24,944,000

41. Sandy Creek Park Renovations: Phase II
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $6,703,000

42. The Cook's Trail Bridge and Boardwalk Replacement Project
Proposed by: Leisure Services
Cost: $7,587,000

43. E911 Phone System Replacement
Proposed by: ACC Police Department
Cost: $767,000

44. Police Vehicles
Proposed by: Police Department
Cost: $2,191,000

45. Public Safety Training Center
Proposed by: Police Department
Cost: $14,753,000

46. Water Reuse Program
Proposed by: ACC Public Utilities Department
Cost: $5,039,000

47. Water Transmission Grid Improvement
Proposed by: Public Utilities
Cost: $10,537,000


48. ACC Recycling Creative Reuse Space and Facility Relocation
Proposed by: ACC Solid Waste Department
Cost: $1,104,000

49. New Recovered Material Processing Facility
Proposed by: Solid Waste
Cost: $16,181,000

50. Environmental Mitigation and Restoration Program
Proposed by: ACC Sustainability Office
Cost: $7,188,000

51. Renewable Energy Program
Proposed by: Sustainability Office
Cost: $3,535,000

52. Sustainability Investment Program
Proposed by: Sustainability Office
$4,620,000

53. Transit Bus Stop and Transfer Facilities Improvement Program
Proposed by: Athens Transit
Cost: $5,749,000

54. Transit Vehicle Replacements & Expansion Vehicle Program
Proposed by: Athens Transit
Cost: $17,168,000

55. ABHS Path to Recovery Residential Program
Proposed by: Advantage Behavioral Health Systems
Cost: $11,422,000

56. Athens Welcome Center Access Improvements
Proposed by: Athens-Clarke Heritage Foundation
Cost: $1,089,000

57. Athens West Park
Proposed by: Athens West Business Association
Cost: $44,283,000

58. Athens-Clarke County Affordable Housing
Proposed by: Georgia Initiative for Community Housing—Athens Team
Cost: $44,485,000

59. Athens-Clarke County Public Libraries
Proposed by: Athens-Clarke County Libraries Board of Trustees
Cost: $14,449,000

60. Bear Hollow Wildlife Trail Renovation
Proposed by: Friends of Bear Hollow

Cost: $13,614,000

61. Beech Haven Park
Proposed by: ACHF

Cost: $13,684,000

62. CCSD High School Athletic Field Upgrades
Proposed by: Clarke County School District
Cost: $4,388,000

63. Downtown Improvement Program
Proposed by: Athens Downtown Development Authority
Cost: $18,543,000

64. Dudley Park Master Plan Improvements for Completion
Proposed by: Friends of Dudley Park
Cost: $5,164,000

65. Firefly Trail Extension and Completion
Proposed by: Firefly Trail, Inc. and ACC Rails-to-Trails Committee
Cost: $22,025,000

66. Five Points Pedestrian Safety Improvements
Proposed by: Friends of Five Points Neighborhood Organization
Cost: $1,862,000

67. Gaines Youth Development Complex
Proposed by: CCSD/Boys and Girls Club of Athens
Cost: $15,452,000

68. Greenspace Acquisition Program
Proposed by: Athens Land Trust
Cost: $7,994,000

69. Holland Youth Sports Park Usability and Safety Improvements
Proposed by: Holland Park Youth Sports Coalition
Cost: $16,514,000

70. Jackson Street Art Walk
Proposed by: Athens Cultural Affairs Commission
Cost: $5,239,000

71. Little Athens Children's Museum Build-out
Proposed by: Little Athens, Inc.
Cost: $9,450,000

72. Mobile Research Laboratory
Proposed by: Athens Nurses' Clinic
Cost: $469,000

73. New Facility for Athens Creative Theatre
Proposed by: Friends of Athens Creative Theatre
Cost: $12,555,000

74. Oconee Rivers Greenway Project
Proposed by: Oconee Rivers Greenway Commission
Cost: $28,714,000

75. Quality Child-care Center Partnership Program
Proposed by: Athens for Everyone
Cost: $7,003,000

76. Rail-Trail Expansion Project
Proposed by: Rails to Trails Committee
Cost: $17,203,000

77. Sandy Creek Nature Center Exhibit Modernization
Proposed by: Sandy Creek Nature Center, Inc.
Cost: $308,000

78. Southeast Clarke Park Enhancements
Proposed by: Citizens for the Improvement of Southeast Clarke Park
Cost: $16,647,000

79. Tallassee Forest Park
Proposed by: Oconee River Land Trust
Cost: $3,822,000

80. Tallassee Road Connector Shared Use-Path
Proposed by: BikeAthens
Cost: $9,465,000

81. The Classic Center Arena
Proposed by: The Classic Center Authority
Cost: $88,879,000

82. Trail Creek Park: Phase III Implementation
Proposed by: SORBA—Athens
Cost: $4,440,000

83. Vincent Drive Sidewalk
Proposed by: BikeAthens
Cost: $1,877,000

84. Energy Sustainability Program
Proposed by: Unnamed ACC resident
Cost: $18,309,000

85. Bicycle and pedestrian safety on Agriculture and Brooks Drive
Proposed by: ACC resident
Cost: $2,595,000

86. Flint, MI Avoidance Project for ACC
Proposed by: ACCresident
Cost: $96,066,000

87. Glass Tower at MLK and North Avenue
Proposed by: ACC resident
Cost: $860,000

88. Upper Oconee Water Trails
Proposed by: ACC resident
Cost: $2,593,000