By Elliott Brack, editor and publisher | People love sales. We all, if we were allowed to choose, would rather buy something at 40 percent off the regular price, than at the regular price.
That’s essentially what the Gwinnett County School Board is offering Gwinnettians in the November 3 referendum on whether to approve the one-cent sales tax to fund school infrastructure, the educational Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (E-SPLOST). If approved, Gwinnett County’s school sales tax level will continue without an increase through 2022.
This will essentially be a 40 percent off vote, since a penny is collected on every sale in the county. That’s because an estimated 40 percent of all retail sales in Gwinnett are paid by people not residing in the county. These out-of-countians essentially help Gwinnett pay for its school construction, and for county infrastructure, reducing the tax level for local residents.
And that penny amounts to a lot: The most recent figure shows that this single penny brings in roughly $12 million a month ($12,624,000 last month) to the county, both for education, and for general county infrastructure. It’s estimated that approval of the sales tax over the five years of the collection will bring in $950 million from 2017-2022. Wow! The current E-SPLOST will bring in $878 million through March of 2017.
Now realize: If Gwinnett did not have SPLOST funds, those monies necessary for building infrastructure would mean nothing less than an annual $144 million for schools, and another $144 million for county infrastructure. That’s a $288 million funding annually, which would be needed if we did not have the sales tax collection. Our ad valorem taxes would have to increase that much to provide the same level of service.
The funds from the November 3 E-SPLOST are earmarked for building four entirely new schools, and funding renovations and additions to nine schools, for a total of 510 new classrooms. It also earmarks monies for E-Class online learning and other technological elements.
Sean Murphy, CEO of Procurri, a high-tech entrepreneur, who is chair of the campaign to pass this E-SPLOST vote, sees this concept in 2015 “not just an issue for kids in the school system. After all, Gwinnett County competes with lots of places in the nation and around here for jobs and new industry. We need to pass this vote to make sure that the county can keep attracting jobs. Those people moving to our county are attracted by good schools, and if nothing else, this passage would help us to compete for industry. People often underestimate how much the schools impact economic development.”
He adds: “Passage of this E-SPLOST will help Gwinnett schools to ‘lead the pack’ in funding to make our schools better.”
Gwinnett County has approved E-SPLOST votes in 1997, 2001, 2006 and 2011. Now the school board asks for a re-affirmation of the penny for schools on November 3.
What worries me about this proposal in 2015 is that it is the single issue on the ballot, since this is a non-election year. That means a smaller percentage of voters will vote on this proposal. So ask your friends to be sure to vote, since the turnout could be low. We need every single positive vote possible on the proposal to ensure this continuation of the penny for schools.
With this in mind, consider voting early on this question. Residents may vote through October 30 at the Gwinnett County Elections office at 455 Grayson Highway, in Lawrenceville, Suite 200, in Town Center. Early voting hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. through October 30. Voting hours on November 3 are 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Let me urge you to go to the polls and vote “Yes” for the continuation of the one cent sales tax for education! It’s important for the education of our children, and after all, it’s a 40 percent off sale!
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