By Elliott Brack
Editor and Publisher, GwinnettForum
OCT. 2, 2020 | Gwinnettians are proud of their public school systems, as they well should be. Both the Gwinnett and the Buford City Schools are considered by many the best in Georgia, and high among the best in the nation.
Residents of Gwinnett have shown tremendous support for the two systems by voting for a one cent Special Purpose Local Sales Tax (E-SPLOST) year after year, by big majorities.
Just look at the record:
- 1997 E-SPLOST 1 70.72 percent approval
- 2001 E-SPLOST 2 78.73 percent approval
- 2006 E-SPLOST 3 66.35 percent approval
- 2011 E-SPLOST 4 60.42 percent approval
- 2015 E-SPLOST 5 74.79 percent approval
This election year, 2020, there will be on the Gwinnett ballot a proposal for E-SPLOST 6 to help fund expansion of the every-growing school systems, including funding new schools and expansion of others.
It is important to recognize that the E-SPLOST 6 being proposed is not an additional tax on Gwinnett property, but is an extension of the current tax level. The special purpose funds can be used only for supporting infrastructure, that is new buildings and equipment, and cannot be used for day-to-day school operations. The Gwinnett school enrollment is at 180,000 students, and continuing to grow, hence the need for expanded facilities., while Buford City Schools enroll approximately 5,400 students.
Here is the wording that faces voters on the extension of the educational SPLOST:
Shall the special one percent sales and use tax for educational purposes currently imposed in Gwinnett County be continued upon the expiration of the current sales and use tax, for not longer than 20 calendar quarters to raise an estimated $984,565,000 for the purpose of funding the following projects:
For Gwinnett County School District:
(A) acquiring land for schools, support facilities and athletic facilities;
(B) constructing and equipping schools, support;
(C) facilities and athletic facilities;
(D) purchasing school buses and other transportation vehicles;
(E) making existing lease/purchase payments with respect to the acquisition of schools and support facilities;
(F) modernizing technology and making system-wide technology improvements; and
(G) acquiring digital instructional materials, software and textbooks (the “Gwinnett Projects”)
at a total cost of approximately $957,096,000; and
For the City of Buford School District:
(A) acquiring land for schools, support facilities and athletic facilities;
(B) constructing and equipping schools, support facilities and athletic facilities;
(C) purchasing school buses and other transportation vehicles;
(D) making existing lease/purchase payments with respect to the acquisition of schools and support facilities;
(E) modernizing technology and making system-wide technology improvements;
(F) acquiring digital instructional materials, software and textbooks; and
(G) retiring previously issued bonded indebtedness,
at a total cost of approximately $27,469,000. If continuation of the tax is approved by the voters, such vote shall also constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of the Gwinnett County School District in a principal amount not to exceed $300,000,000 for the purpose of funding all or a portion of the Gwinnett Projects.
The combined SPLOST for the two systems is expected to raise nearly $1 billion for improvements to the facilities in Gwinnett. The key part here is that should the SPLOST lose, local taxpayers would eventually have to fund expanded schools through property taxes. In effect, by approving the SPLOST, Gwinnett taxpayers are avoiding a tax increase.
And remember: people from outside of Gwinnett help pay this SPLOST funding. After all, these funds are generated by sales tax, meaning that people shopping at the Gwinnett malls, chain stores, automobile dealerships and every single retail outlet, chip in a penny for every dollar they spend here. So, between 30-40 percent of SPLOST comes to Gwinnett from people outside Gwinnett.
The citizens of Gwinnett will do themselves a favor by approving the 2020 proposed E-SPLOST.
- Have a comment? Send to: elliott@brack.net
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