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Most Georgia Localities Reject Sales Tax Increase for Transportation by John Buhl
Georgia voters in most parts of the state on July 31 rejected a proposed 1percentage point sales tax increase to help fund transportation projects.
With complete results from 153 of 159 counties on the secretary of state’s website, the proposed tax increase was defeated soundly in nine of the state’s 12 transportation special purpose local option sales tax (TSPLOST) districts.
In those districts, the results were as follows:
• Atlanta Regional — 62.43 percent opposed;
• Coastal Georgia — 57.52 percent opposed;
• Georgia Mountains — 74.97 percent opposed;
• Middle Georgia — 56.15 percent opposed;
• Northeast Georgia — 64.7 percent opposed;
• Northwest Georgia — 67.79 percent opposed;
• Southern Georgia — 57.87 percent opposed;
• Southwest Georgia — 56.61 percent opposed; and
• Three Rivers — 69.28 percent opposed. Read more…
For election results go to www.TSPLOST.info
James Bell, director of Georgia Taxpayers Alliance joins a coalition of tax watch-dog groups to bring attention to use of public funds to lobby against taxpayers.
DULUTH — With the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce leading the local movement to approve a controversial transportation tax, a group of citizen watchdogs called Thursday for the suspension of taxpayer funds to go to the organization. Changes are already in the works, leaders said.
“We want to know how the taxpayer money is spent and what the benefit is,” said Sabrina Smith of Gwinnett Citizen for Responsible Government, referring to the five-year-old Partnership Gwinnett program, which the Chamber leads with $500,000 in annual donations from the county government, $150,000 each year from Gwinnett County Public Schools and funds from local cities and community improvement districts, as well as private donations.
Georgia Gwinnett College was the venue for an anti-T-SPLOST forum hosted by The Young Americans for Liberty on July 17. A small group attended to hear speakers explain why they oppose the July 31 Transportation sales tax referendum. A Special thanks to YAL for the invite.
With just days away from the July 31 general primary vote the media has been calling on Georgia Taxpayers Alliance for our view point. We oppose the 1% transportation sales tax (Referendum 1 Special Election).
Directors James Bell and Ron Williams have been busy meeting with the media for interviews. We would like to thank all the media outlets who have called on us and covered our point of view:
WSB-TV & Radio, WGST, WAGA FOX5, WXIA 11Ailve, CBS 46, AJC, MDJ, Georgia News Network, Gwinnett Daily Post, Neighbor Newspapers, Star 94, and the latest coverage from Douglas County Sentinel.
