Johns Creek voters will be asked Nov. 3 to approve $86.4 million in transportation spending without knowing which roads, sidewalks or intersections the money would fix.
The city's project list for the renewed Fulton County TSPLOST, filed as part of the intergovernmental agreement signed Monday, Aug. 3, labels every line item simply "citywide." No road, bridge, intersection, sidewalk or trail is named in either of Johns Creek's first two funding tiers.
That stands in sharp contrast to neighboring cities. Alpharetta's $71.6 million plan names specific locations: an Academy Street sidewalk, Kimball Bridge Road pedestrian improvements, the Northwinds Alpha Loop. Roswell's $98.2 million list identifies the Norcross Street multiuse trail, Vickery Creek trail rehabilitation and Atlanta Street sidewalk work.
No project is named in Johns Creek's plan.
Where the $86.4 million goes — on paper
The project list combines two guaranteed funding tiers totaling $86.4 million across broad categories:
- Maintenance and safety: $22.9 million (citywide)
- Bridges: $4.3 million (citywide)
- Operations and safety: $10.9 million (citywide)
- Pedestrian, bicycle, streetscape and landscape: $44.1 million (citywide streetscape projects)
- Project management: $4.3 million
A third tier would add nearly $13 million more if sales tax collections reach 115% of the county's forecast, pushing Johns Creek's potential total to $99.4 million.
Flexibility or a blank check?
The broad "citywide" language gives the city room to adjust as construction costs shift and priorities evolve. Johns Creek has an active transportation project pipeline, including Town Center initiatives and grant applications through the Atlanta Regional Commission, according to a June 2026 council resolution. The North Atlanta Star reported Aug. 5 that the city "has an established list of transportation and Town Center initiatives that could qualify" for TSPLOST funding.
But the approved document does not tell voters which of those projects would receive TSPLOST dollars, which streetscapes would come first or what the city expects to complete during the five-year tax period running from April 1, 2027 through March 31, 2032.
Mayor John Bradberry signed the IGA on behalf of Johns Creek. Neither the mayor nor any council member has made a public statement explaining why the city's list is unspecified or when residents can expect project-level detail.
Fulton County Chairman Robb Pitts, announcing the agreement in an Aug. 4 press release, said transportation "remains one of the top concerns identified by Fulton County residents."
What voters need to know
The TSPLOST is a renewal of the existing 0.75% transportation sales tax, not a new levy. The current tax has been in place since 2017; voters last renewed it in 2021 with 61% approval, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
The county's call for election sets the voter registration deadline at Oct. 5. Early in-person voting begins Oct. 13. The absentee ballot application deadline is Oct. 23.
The signed IGA requires annual public reporting on costs, expenditures and completion dates, plus a 15-member citizen oversight council to be formed within 90 days of the referendum. Johns Creek would have one appointee on that panel.
Residents looking for answers about which specific projects the city plans to fund with its $86.4 million have no public document or council statement to consult.
