TAX INCEASE ALERT!!!
There is a vote coming for Coweta County to extend a 1 cent sales tax for education and start a new 1 cent education sales tax. They have all these reasons why they MORE OF YOUR MONEY! the tornado damage (all but the deductibles will be covered by insurance!), expected county growth, etc, etc. They have many EXCUSES to want YOUR MONEY!
Let us remember the HUGE INCREASE OUR OUR PROPERTY VALUATIONS. They said then they wouldn't need any more taxes raised. THEN, they INCREASED YOUR MILAGE RATE! Again, they said they would not need any further tax increases!
FYI: They have OVER $33,000,000 IN SAVINGS - THEY CALL A RAINY-DAY-FUND! If I recall correctly, IT RAINED THE NIGHT OF THE TORNADO! Let's USE THEIR MONEY -- NOT OURS! Vote "NO" on the ESPLOST and EVERY other tax they want US to fund. And remember this when they run for RE_ELECTION!
PUBLIC HEARINGS START NEXT WEEK. PROPOSED ESPLOST VI.
Starting next week, the public is urged to attend hearings for the proposed tax increase for an ESPLOST VI. Dates, times and locations:
April 26, 2021 (MONDAY) at 6:30pm Central Educational Center (direct from front lobby)
April 27, 2021 (TUESDAY) at 6:30pm East Coweta High School (main cafeteria)
April 29, 2021 (THURSDAY) at 6:30pm Northgate High School (main cafeteria)
May 4, 2021(TUESDAY) at 6:30pm Newnan High School* (to be held in Wadsworth Auditorium, downtown Newnan)
May 6, 2021(THURSDAY) at 6:30pm Nixon Centre for Performing and Visual Arts (new black box theatre, parking in rear)
The proposed $166,000,000 project list is available at the following link. And, this presentation offers the information relative to the 2012 ESPLOST IV and the 2017 ESPLOST V. https://simbli.eboardsolutions.com/SB_Meetings/ViewMeeting.aspx?S=4046&MID=91905 The video presentation to the Coweta Board of Education is below. Starting at minute 23:20 https://www.cowetaschools.net/video-library-7b472865
Keep in mind that this proposed TAX INCREASE comes on top of:
1) Property RE re-evaluations in 2020 increased tax burden on tax payers,
2) The BOE’s refusal to do a full millage rate rollback in 2020,
3) The school system has a cash reserve rainy day fund of +/- $33,000,000,
4) Our seniors are already deeply concerned about their retirement savings accounts based on what they are seeing with changes made at the federal level,
5) Local and regional employers are hesitating to expand and in some cases, have closed their doors resulting in unemployment uncertainty and a dramatic decrease in housing development in our county,
6) The roof replacement due to the tornado for Atkinson is 100% covered by insurance,
7) The needed repairs / replacement of NHS is still undetermined however the buildings are adequately insured AND application has been made for both state and federal disaster relief funding, and Over the past years, our parents – THE TAXPAYERS – have been thru Hell with trying to stay employed due to layoffs and business closures due to the pandemic. Adding to their employment and / or loss of employment issues, they’ve had to incur additional costs for childcare and increases in home technology access in order to comply with virtual learning classrooms.
The argument is always, “but a SPLOST captures ALL the people who shop in Coweta”. What they don’t want you, the Coweta taxpayers, to understand is that it’s the Coweta county residents who bear the brunt of these tax increases.
You’re being asked to “tax yourselves”.
QUESTION: Why can’t government entities understand that they need to take the boot off the back of the taxpayers?
Simple answer: Because the PEOPLE don’t speak up in opposition. So, please plan to attend at least one, if not all, the hearings.