Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Tuesday for voters to cast their ballot on the Education Local Option Sales Tax (ELOST).
Among the projects to be funded with the one-cent sales tax would be an addition to the high school and construction of a new elementary school.
ELOST is an option for a local school system to call for a referendum approving a one percent sales tax for school construction and/or to retire bond debt.
The county currently has a seven percent sales tax in place. The referendum is to continue the current tax. If the ELOST passes, there will be no change to the existing seven cent sales tax in Banks County.
The ELOST would generate a maximum of $19 million over a five-year period. If the ELOST is passed, the school system can immediately begin additions to the high school to address overcrowding, make necessary technology updates and transportation purchases, construct an addition to the agriculture facility and administrative offices, acquire future school sites, and begin construction of a new elementary school. All proposed projects should be completed by fall 2018.
1. This is not a new tax. The 1 cent is already in place. If you vote yes, you continue to pay the same tax rate.
2. Banks County is growing. Soon, the Banks County Schools infrastructure will not be big enough to accommodate the number of students per state mandates. If you vote NO for this tax, ultimately the citizens of Banks County will see a property tax increase. Therefore, Banks residents will exclusively bear the burden instead of sharing it with others who purchase goods in Banks County.
Whether or not you like the current status quo, the common-sense vote is YES. A vote of NO will ultimately cost Banks County residents more in property taxes.
PLEASE VOTE NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
People need to think about the elderly people that are on fixed incomes. As one man said at one of the debates at the last property tax debate, "there is no more water in the well, where do you expect me to get this extra income?" This is sad when the superintendent makes $175,000.00 per year. Why not ask him to take a pay cut like other people have had to?