Patterson City Council approved a resolution revising uses for its special purpose local option sales tax (SPLOST) revenues.
The council unanimously approved the measure during its regular monthly meeting last Thursday. The resolution will increase the recreation earmark by almost $331,000 by shifting funds from other earmarks.
Mayor Thomas said later the funds will be used to install new lighting at the football field, to refurbish the tennis courts, to expand the baseball field and to make improvements at the Patterson Lions Park.
Patterson is slated to receive 6.89 percent as its share of the six-year, county-wide SPLOST, which will total $1.24 million. The share is determined by population. The SPLOST was renewed by voters in March.
Mayor Dedi Thomas and City Clerk Laura Kate Dixon met with county officials and determined it could alter the amounts the SPLOST funds could be earmarked for, as long as the monies were used for items included in the referendum.
The city had originally earmarked the SPLOST funds for water and sewer infrastructure ($621,000) downtown development ($185,400), public safety ($185,400), Eagle Station $162,000), roads and streets ($61,200) and recreation ($25,200).
Mayor Thomas explained the city needs more money to make improvements to the recreation facilities at the Patterson Lions Park. Funds will be shifted from all of the other earmarks to go to fund recreation improvements.
The new earmarks are water and sewer infrastructure ($558,090) recreation ($334,474), public safety ($124,200), downtown development ($99,216), Eagle Station $99,216) and roads and streets ($24,804).
Thomas pointed out the city receives local maintenance and improvement grants (LMIG) from the state to help with roads and streets and grant monies can be used to supplement the cuts for downtown development.
