Passage of the July 31 sales tax could throw White County, a busy tourism spot and hub for mountain travelers, into the spotlight. Known for rural two-lanes, scenic vistas and home to the Alpine village of Helen, the North Georgia county could be home to a vastly improved passageway leading residents to Gainesville and beyond. If the tax is approved in the 13-county Georgia Mountains region, which includes Hall, some $55 million in 2011 dollars would go toward projects affecting U.S. 129, an artery that winds from Hall to Union counties.