Backers of the special metro sales tax for transportation (TSPLOST) may wish the vote were now, rather than on July 31.

Support for the measure may be weakening, even among local leaders who once favored it.

According to Ariel Hart of the AJC, Wednesday, opponents of the referendum touted a new study, released by a libertarian think tank, that takes issue with much of the spending on the list.  However, supporters have hit back.
 
“These are the same people who’ve been saying the same thing for months,” Paul Bennecke, who is leading the campaign to pass the referendum, told the AJC. “This is typical of any campaign process. They’re going to throw as many things as they can on the wall to see what sticks, if anything does stick.”

Holly Springs mayor Tim Downing is one of the metro political leaders who drew up the $6 billion list of improvements we'll be voting on; he's now opposed. "Nobody in that roundtable fully understood what we were dealing with," he told the AJC.

He's up for re-election this year, but he denies that has anything to do with it.

Woodstock State Rep. Sean Jerguson has problems with the plan to help MARTA with maintenance and operations, saying that violates state law.

The AJC reports, the law says the tax money can't be spent on operations and maintenance for MARTA's existing system. But the project list includes $600 million for projects that include rehabilitation of tracks and escalators.  MARTA officials said the spending met legal requirements.
 
Jerguson said he was seeking legal counsel.