Much of the increased revenue is just “plowed” back into infrastructure that feeds and drives growth. New schools are attractive to and encouraged by the Development Industry.

AVOC

.

March 26, 2008

.

SPLOST Sales Tax Projects – Good and Bad

.

By Wendell Dawson, Editor, AVOC, Inc

.

When Local Option and Special Purpose Local Option Taxes came into being in the mid-eighties, they helped many local governments to catch up on infrastructure and build needed facilities.   Oconee’s first project in 1986 was a new jail.The Civic Center, Library and many roads were built.

.

Since then, SPLOST has become kind of a “Slush Fund” for officials to build what they want.   We are building bigger jails, bigger courthouses and bigger parks.   These type projects require considerable increases in maintenance and operations costs.   The Oconee County Payroll listing shows how the New Jail and Big Park have added many folks to the Jail and Recreation Departments of County Government.

.

Oconee Payroll-    Oconee.Salaries.08.WOutNames.pdf x

.

Roads do not rank as high in priority as new and bigger facilities.    Much of the increased revenue is just “plowed” back into infrastructure that feeds and drives growth.    New schools are attractive to and encouraged by the Development Industry.

.

Property taxes do not go down.   They continue to increase in spite of our “broadened tax base”.

.

Voters need to look closely at SPLOST projects and who we elect to office.   We do not need to be encouraging growth just for the sake of growth.Some folks profit but all of us suffer a loss of quality of life.

.

VOTERS NEED TO TAKE THIS COUNTY BACK FROM THE DEVELOPERS!

.

We have sufficient revenues to serve our existing citizens.

.

SEE GROWTH OF TAX RECEIPTS - Oconee.Sales.Taxes.08.LosSpl.3.23.08.pdf x

.

3-23-08 Oconee Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax Receipts FY 06-09

.