Cherokee County voters will decide in November how to pay for schools built in the past decade and for those to be built in the future -- by a sales tax or a property tax increase.
On the November ballot, voters will be asked to continue the 1-cent Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax that has been in place more than a decade. The tax will end in 2012 if they don't.
If the SPLOST is continued, Cherokee's sales tax rate will remain at 6 cents on the dollar -- 4 cents state tax, 1 cent county tax and 1 cent education tax.
If it is discontinued, property tax rates are projected to rise 3.9 to 4 mills, according to a school system estimate, to pay off loans that were taken out against projected SPLOST revenue to build new schools. The increase would add up to about $180 a year on a $150,000 home.
Continued building and maintaining of schools would slow dramatically, Superintendent Frank Petruzielo said.
"A sales tax is a far more responsible way to cover these type expenses than property taxes," he said.
Those living in apartments who have kids in local schools pay sales tax but no real property taxes, so renters and even visitors shopping in the county help pay for schools, Petruzielo said.
The sales tax was overwhelmingly approved by voters in 2001, when 81 percent voted for it, and again in 2006, when 72 percent supported it. During those years, Cherokee was one of the fastest-growing counties in Georgia, by percentage of population, and schools were filling up faster than they could be built. The last SPLOST has raised about $87 million so far and built new facilities such as Creekview High School and three elementary schools under construction.
The system now has more than 38,000 students.
The next SPLOST would fund at least three new middle schools and improvements to other schools such as new entrances for parents dropping children off at Boston, Carmel and Holly Springs elementary schools, according to information given to the school board May 19.
The school system and board members cannot promote voting for the upcoming SPLOST, though they can give out information about it and its effects. Typically, a citizens committee is formed to advocate a vote for the tax, but the committee has not yet been announced.
Bill Dewrell, a former mayor of Woodstock and political activist, said it is early in the process and he has not heard much about what the new SPLOST will buy. As the information begins to come out, local groups will be able to better judge what stance to take on it, he said.
About the Author
