Liberty County voters on Tuesday decided that they did not want to see another round of the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax. The referendum to approve another six-year SPLOST period failed in a race that came down to a difference of 90 votes.

In the wake of the referendum's failure, county officials are working to assess "the total fiscal impact for the remainder of this fiscal year and those in the immediate future," according to County Administrator Joey Brown.

As previously reported in the Courier, the county's 2015 operating budget did not provide for Justice Center bond payments or public-safety vehicle expenses, as those items were included in the SPLOST referendum.

According to Brown, the county must wait one year before proposing another SPLOST referendum; however, in email correspondence, he said that the SPLOST statute changed last year, and the one-year waiting period may not apply. He said county officials were looking into the matter.

Brown also said that any decisions regarding another SPLOST referendum will be left to the Liberty County Board of Commissioners.

The Courier will continue to provide updates on the situation as they become available.