In March, Hall County voters approved a new five-year round of special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST VII, to fund $158 million in infrastructure projects. For county department heads, passage of the 1 percent sales tax proved a relief as they prepare their 2016 fiscal year budgets. The county’s parks department stands to benefit handsomely from the sales tax, with nearly $5 million earmarked for parks projects, as well as shoreline protection programs and the Elachee Nature Science Center.