Jackson Progress-Argus

Jackson — The Butts County Board of Education unanimously voted Tuesday, Nov. 29, to call for a referendum on the March 6 ballot to continue a 1-percent Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax to help fund the county’s schools.

New Superintendent Robert “Buddy” Costley urged the board to consider the need for the E-SPLOST in an effort to “ease the burden on Butts County citizens, farmers, and business owners.” Costley explained that by imposing a 1-cent sales tax, the school board could raise money from not only citizens of the county, but also “visitors to Butts County, etc.”

School officials expect the total revenue generated to reach $20.78 million, although Costley said during the board’s specially called meeting that $19.5 million is a more “conservative” and “preferable” estimate. The tax would not be allowed to raise more than $25 million.

The tax will serve as an extension of the current five-year E-SPLOST that expires on June 30, 2012. If passed, the tax would immediately be extended on July 1, 2012 and last a maximum of five years to June 30, 2017.

The school system’s proposal states that capital outlay projects funded by the tax would include necessary repairs and renovations to the county’s schools, including additional classrooms, physical education and athletic facilities, roof replacements and repairs, mechanical system repairs and replacements, and wiring and infrastructure. Other projects would include additional parking and paving at school district facilities; acquiring and installing technological, safety and security equipment; acquisition of school buses, vehicles and transportation and maintenance equipment; acquisition of music, vocational, physical education and athletic equipment; acquiring textbooks; and renovating or adding to existing administrative facilities.

The ballot also includes a clause explaining that if the tax is imposed by voters, $7.5 million in bonds would be sold to address pressing needs. The most costly of these is retiring the existing debt from bonds sold from the E-SPLOST in 2007, which will cost $1.57 million according to the proposal.

“If this SPLOST passes,” said Costley, “the very first thing that will happen in the next fiscal year, is the taxpayers of this county will not have to pay $1 million out of the general fund to make a bond payment.”

The remainder of the bonded proceeds -- approximately $6 million -- would go toward 40 detailed proposed projects, including $1.5 million to replace the heating and air system at Jackson High School. The $7.5 million would be paid back by annual escalating payments, ranging from $1.4 million in 2013 to $1.6 million in 2017.

Members of the Board of Education were not as unified about one of the projects written into the original proposal, which stated that the money raised from the tax would be used for, in part, “planning for new School District site development and site acquisition.” The project was removed from the referendum on a 3-2 majority vote by the board, with Bobby Craven, Millard Daniel and Clifford Marshall voting in favor of the removal.

Daniel called the language too “vague and general,” and said it “would create an avenue for organized opposition.”

Al Jordan, who worked on a committee to help promote the recent county SPLOST, was asked to answer questions board members had for him as to how to win support for a SPLOST. Jordan, who is not working on the E-SPLOST, recommended that “a good selling point” would be to reduce the millage rate.

School Board Chairman Ernest Battle said he is worried that the lack of state funding could prevent the board from being able to drop the millage rate, but that the SPLOST could provide them with room to do so in the future.

“This board, all year long, has talked about reducing the millage,” said Battle. “But I don’t think this board wants to step out on a limb and say, ‘We’re going to drop 2 mills.’ One thing we do know is by passing this SPLOST referendum, we can free up money so we can consider reducing the millage.”

Butts County Elections Director Avery Smith said the Board of Elections met the following day, Nov. 30, to approve the paperwork to put the question on the ballot for voters on March 6, which is also the date of the presidential preference primary.