Wednesday marks the start of a new round of special purpose local option sales tax, or SPLOST VII. The 1 percent sales tax has funded everything from parks and public works projects to public safety operations and building construction over many years. The continuation of the tax for another five years will generate an estimated $158 million to fund road improvements, upgrades to the emergency 911 system, renovations to the main library branch in downtown Gainesville and remodeling of the Senior Life Center. SPLOST money cannot be spent on maintenance and operations costs, meaning these expenses will fall on the general fund and other revenue streams in the budget.