The Forsyth County School District has created an online resource about two referendums on the Nov. 8 ballot: to extend the Education Special Local Option Sales Tax, and to reduce the number of seniors eligible for the homestead exemption on school taxes.
Ed-SPLOST is a one-cent sales tax for that will run for five years or until a $195 million cap is reached. By law, SPLOST school funds can be used only for capital outlay projects and bond payments. Forsyth voters have approved four Ed-SPLOST referendums since 1997; the current tax expires next June
.If passed, Ed-SPLOST would pay $159.4 million of voter-approved debt and possibly generate $33.5 million for capital improvements. If the measure fails, the school district says it would have to increase the debt service millage rate to make the bond payments.
The other referendum affects the 100 percent homestead exemption from school taxes for those 65 years of age and older. This cost the schools more than $19 million in fiscal 2015.
The district says it has found instances of seniors, with students living in their households, claiming the exemption though they aren’t the students’ legal guardians. If the referendum passes, the exemption would no longer be available to those homeowners. It would not affect seniors without students, nor seniors who are legal guardians of students.
Information: bit.ly/2d7dVQN
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