For example, in A-CC, we have a 6% sales tax. We voted to add an extra 1% (one penney) on each dollar spent in Athens-Clarke County.
So, out of county visitors help to pay for the services that we provided to the region (roads, UGA, shopping, industry, commerce, cultural facilities and parks).
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OOPS! I mispoke. SPLOST does not fund schools but it does fund many other projects (Libraries, community parks, roads, family resource centers, police facilities etc.) so that property taxes DON'T have to be raised. Property taxes include local, SCHOOL and hospital (we have a regional hospital) taxes.
My bad. Sorry. Still, y'all should get SPLOST. Properly managed, it works great for regional centers of commerece, industry and education like Athens and Chattanooga.
Did I mention that we are the smallest county in Georgia and that we have a combined city-county government? Columbus-Muscogee and Augusta-Richmond are the other two in Georgia.
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Here's a link to our A-CC SPLOST website: :)
http://www.athensclarkecounty.com/splost/index.htmSPLOST General Information
On November 2, 1999, voters approved the SPLOST 2000 (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) referendum which allowed for the continuation of a one-cent sales tax to fund a diverse list of 40 different community projects. In 1994, voters in Athens-Clarke County approved an extra penny in sales tax known as SPLOST IV to fund a package of 29 diverse community projects over five years. In previous years, SPLOST funds provided for the restoration of the historic Morton Theatre, the creation of the Classic Center, expansion of the landfill, establishment of a regional library, expansion of the jail and the addition of an annex and parking deck to the Athens-Clarke County Courthouse.
The projects are divided into three broad categories: Public Safety, Basic Facilities / Infrastructure, and Quality of Life. An online version of a Powerpoint presentation of SPLOST IV featuring some of its projects that fall into these three categories breakdown is now available.
Cents and Sensibility
Georgia law allows local jurisdictions as of July 1, 1985 to use SPLOST proceeds for capital improvement projects that would otherwise be paid for with General Fund and property tax revenues. In some cases, the cost of these types of community enhancements would present too great a burden to the taxpayers to ever be undertaken. In other cases, the projects would be completed but at a much higher cost to the community. For instance, if a project requires the use of bonds, the cost to the community is virtually double what it would be in paid for in cash.
SPLOST Allows ACC to Remain Debt Free and Leverage Federal and State Monies
By using SPLOST funding to pay for improvements to our public safety, infrastructure and quality of life, Athens-Clarke County will enter the 21st Century completely debt free. The program has allowed ACC to capitalize on strong economic conditions of the 1990s, pay for enhancements in cash and, by the end of the program, pay off the extremely low level of General Obligation Bonds remaining.
In addition, SPLOST IV has provided the local match for a wide variety of infrastructure improvements and allowed ACC to leverage state and federal transportation funds for the maximum impact on our community. To date, ACC has used SPLOST IV funds as the local contribution to bring approximately $27 million in state and federal money for Epps Bridge Parkway and other similar transportation improvements.
SPLOST Provides an Equitable Source of Support for Capital Projects
The smallest geographic county and the 14th most populous in the state, Athens-Clarke County serves Northeast Georgia as a regional center for employment, commerce and recreation. According to the September 20, 1998 Athens Banner-Herald, roughly 1/3 of the work force commutes to the Athens-Clarke County for work. With 40,000 people in our workforce and approximately 18,000 commuting from outside ACC, we have an opportunity to use the sales tax dollars that non-residents spend here to ease the burden on local property tax payers. SPLOST has provided a fair way for citizens of the region to support the services and infrastructure they utilize in Athens-Clarke County.
SPLOST Gives Our Community a Shared Vision
SPLOST gives ACC community members the opportunity to participate in a shared vision for our future. All SPLOST IV buildings have been constructed with a minimum projected 50-year life span and all of the projects help the Athens of today live up to the oath taken by ancient Greek Athenians: to leave this community "greater and more beautiful than it was transmitted to us."
SPLOST Citizen Involvement
The success of the SPLOST programs are directly affected by the hard work of citizen volunteers and community participation. The Athens-Clarke County Commission appointed 33 community members to craft the program for the 1994 referendum and 22 members to craft the program for the 1999 referendum. Eleven members of the SPLOST IV committee have continued to work with the ACC staff and elected officials as the SPLOST IV Citizens Advisory Committee since the referendum was passed in 1994. Additionally, community meetings are an integral component of many SPLOST projects. For SPLOST IV alone, over 80 public forums and more than 40 Citizen Advisory Committee meetings have been held.