A new library. Upgrades to county buildings, including senior citizen facilities. Recreation projects. Ambulances. Heavy equipment.

All that and more may be on a potential wish list as Bryan County officials begin gearing up for a November referendum on continuing a Special Option Local Sales Tax.

“I think our citizens understand that there are capital projects that need to be done … and it’s not fair for the burden to be levied on homeowners through property taxes,” said Jimmy Burnsed, chairman of the Bryan County Commissioners.

Burnsed announced the appointment of a committee headed by Richmond Hill engineer Ray Pittman to develop a project list for the next SPLOST, which must be approved by voters to continue for another six years.

The current SPLOST was approved in 2006. It expires in March 2012, by which time it is estimated it will have collected about $28 million, County Administrator Phil Jones told commissioners at the group’s April 12 meeting.

That’s about $9 million more than the SPLOST was expected to bring in, Jones said, and will allow the county to pay off the cost of building the county’s Administrative Complex in South Bryan. So far, the current SPLOST has poured about $22 million into local government coffers.

For more, pick up a copy of the April 23 edition of the News.