City, County Leaders to Hold Beam Signing Ceremony for SPLOST-Funded Early Childhood Learning Center • Savannah Herald

SAVANNAH – City of Savannah leaders will join Chatham County officials on Monday, Nov. 3 at 12:30 p.m. for a beam-signing ceremony celebrating progress on the Early Childhood Learning Center (ECLC)—an intergovernmental joint initiative funded by Special Option Local Sales Tax (SPLOST) 7.

Commission Chairman Chester Ellis and Mayor Van R. Johnson II will sign the final structural beam of the new facility on Monday, marking a milestone in the community’s commitment to expanding early education opportunities.

The ECLC, a project of the East Savannah Gateway Redevelopment Plan, is designed to provide quality education-based childcare services for up to 144 children from ages six weeks to four. The major initiative is aimed at addressing educational and economic health disparities in East Savannah.

Monday’s event will also highlight the continued role of SPLOST in supporting local projects that benefit residents. Voters have the opportunity to approve a county-wide SPLOST 8 referendum on the Nov. 4 ballot which includes funding to construct a second ECLC.

To learn more about the SPLOST penny tax and what future projects will be funded visit savannahga.gov/splost.

What: ECLC Beam Signing Event

When: Monday, Nov. 3, 12:30 p.m.

Where: 840 Hitch Dr., Savannah, Ga.

Info: Event can be accessed from Wheaton St.

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About SPLOST

The Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) has been one of the greatest community development tools in the history of municipal government. Almost 40% of the 1-penny sales tax is paid for by visitors to our community, but all of the proceeds directly benefit the citizens of Chatham County, funding critical projects without relying on property taxes paid by home and business owners. Since the first referendum in 1985, SPLOST has helped fund more than $1.5 billion worth of projects, nearly $600 million of which has been paid for by visitors who live outside Chatham County. The City of Savannah’s share of SPLOST has totaled more than $500 million during this time.  Almost 40% of those dollars have been spent on drainage, which has dramatically improved living conditions in all areas of Savannah. SPLOST has also paved miles of roads and sidewalks, added new neighborhood parks, and created exciting projects that have led to hundreds of millions of dollars in private investment, such as the redevelopment of Ellis Square and Savannah Gardens. The current SPLOST 7 collection period began in 2020 and runs through 2025. It includes some community-changing projects, such as the renovation and restoration of the historic Savannah City Hall and the Casey South Drainage Improvement project.