Voters should take note that the Lowndes County Commission and the Valdosta City Council voted unanimously for the SPLOST VII, both ignoring the fact that citizens voted SPLOST VII down a year ago. Below are the details of how the leadership plan to maximize the taxes extracted from the people. Earlier this year the City management went to state legislators Tim Golden, Amy Carter, and Dexter Sharper to sponsor a bill to modify the Municipal Optional Sales Tax (MOST) law. They introduced HB 403, which allows a city-only sales tax in Valdosta to rebuild infrastructure like the sewage plant. The bill passed out of committee, but our local leaders then asked that the bill not be passed since it could only be used on sewage and infrastructure. MOST can still be voted on in the January 2014 session. MOST funds only infrastructure and the tax stops as soon as the predetermined $55 million cost of the project is collected. County Chairman Bill Slaughter and Mayor John Gayle (both T-SPLOST and SPLOST advocates) decided to kill the MOST tax idea ($55 million in less than 3 years) and go with a $150 million SPLOST tax over 6 years. Slaughter even gave a larger percent of SPLOST to the City. This plan gave the City the court-ordered sewage plant plus they get to split about $95 million of SPLOST excess. Never let a crisis go to waste and settle for a $55 million tax when the taxpayers can be fleeced for $150 million. Both the City and County governments are working together to get $95 million in excess tax from the citizens. They’ve tried to convince the public that SPLOST VII is the only reasonable alternative to fund the sewage plant. They think SPLOST VII is a done deal. They don’t mention the MOST tax option; so it’s clear they’re not looking for the least painful option for the taxpayer. Taxpayers must understand and spread the word about the MOST vs. SPLOST option to voters. The voters need to know how our leaders finagled this crisis. We need better management – not more taxes. SPLOST VII should be voted DOWN, and the proponents voted OUT. By voting SPLOST VII down and forcing the MOST tax, we save $95 million in taxes and cut the period from 6-years to less than 3-years. We still get the $55 million sewage plant infrastructure and property taxes don’t increase. It’s a bare-bones common sense solution that exposes the collusion, cuts out political patronage, and frilly projects such as decorating a downtown alley. The MOST tax is $95 million LESS in taxes. Vote NO on SPLOST VII, and save $95 million in taxes with no property tax increase for sewage. Nolen P. Cox
Posted on: Tue, 24 Sep 2013 13:36:36 +0000
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