Supporters make pitch for Gwinnett school sales tax
Several Gwinnett County leaders gathered at a Peachtree Corners church Monday night to rally faithful supporters to vote next month for an extension of a 1 percent sales tax to fund new school construction and equipment.
“We need to treat it like a close election because it’s going to be closer than people think,” said entrepreneur Sean Murphy, who gave a presentation to about 30 people at Christ the King Lutheran Church.
Sales tax critics argue Gwinnett needs to spend more wisely.
Murphy, who has three children in the Gwinnett system, handed out business cards and yard signs urging residents to vote yes on the Nov. 3 ballot referendum.
If approved, the ballot referendum would allow Gwinnett to collect up to $928 million over a five-year stretch, starting in July 2017. The Buford school system would collect up to $22 million. The current sales tax ends in June 2017.
School district officials are legally prohibited from advocating for the referendum, but can discuss how the money would be spent. Gwinnett Superintendent J. Alvin Wilbanks explained at the meeting, put together by the United Peachtree Corners Civic Association, that the tax would pay for four new schools, renovations or additions to nine current schools, school security upgrades and other improvements.
About the Author
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He currently writes about higher education and has assisted in the newsroom’s COVID-19 vaccine coverage. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
