Atlanta Weather

| Traffic

Search
Get Schooled

A few Clayton voters pass SPLOST, but everyone will pay

10:06 am September 16, 2009, by Maureen Downey

I am glad to see that Clayton passed its SPLOST Tuesday, but I wish more people had voted. Clayton has about 136,901 registered voters. The SPLOST — a penny sales tax to fund school construction  — drew only 3,350 voters

In the finaly tally, 2,500 voters supported the measure, and 850 opposed it.  A sliver of the eligible voters  decided a pocketbook issue for thousands of their neighbors who did not vote, either because they didn’t care or they didn’t know.

Don’t blame Clayton voters. The entire election system in Georgia conspires to deflate turnout. Consider that special elections are held on random  Tuesdays in September rather than during general elections. That makes as much sense as shopping malls  holding after-Thanksgiving Day sales in August.

Brilliant poster Angela pointed out that this will finally change in 2010.  A law sponsored by state Rep. Jeff May (R- Monroe)  ends the practice of stealth special elections. 

Under May’s legislation,  special elections that put questions before the voters must to be held in a primary or general election in even years and on two specified days in odd years, starting in 2010.

Thanks for the information, which I think represents a much-overdue change.

  • Print

7 comments Add your comment

V for Vendetta

September 16th, 2009
10:30 am

Maureen,

You’re absolutely right. Dare I say, you’re sounding like a bit of an individualist . . . .

Ernest

September 16th, 2009
11:18 am

I thought the legislature discussed having referendums during ‘major’ election cycles. Nonetheless, some could say we still lack having a fully engaged and informed electorate to even conduct referendums like this during those times.

I wish more people participated in the referendum however believe the correct decision was made. Better that everyone pays on their purchases than simply placing the all the burden on property owners.

Angela

September 16th, 2009
12:33 pm

Maureen,
This is the last year it could happen this way. HB 296, passed in 2008, goes into effect Jan. 1, 2010. It limits special election dates to present a question to the voters. There will be 2 possible dates each year except in the years when there is a presidential primary and then there would be three.

http://www.legis.ga.gov/legis/2007_08/pdf/hb296.pdf

Ernest

September 16th, 2009
12:47 pm

Good find, Angela! I thought something had be done along those lines. It would not have mattered for Clayton given their current SPLOST expires on December 31st.

It will be interesting to see if the strategies change for future SPLOST referendums. It could increase the cost to run them given the greater exposure they will have.

oldtimer

September 16th, 2009
1:47 pm

I agree, only the most informed knew about the vote. I am not sure if it is the best thing as the BOE raised taxes this year to the highest allowable under the law. I would have waited a year and prove a little more resposibility with our money. They have yet to earn my trust. There are many behavior and academic issues in Clayton County.

Ernest

September 16th, 2009
1:57 pm

oldtimer:

Your concerns have merit (I also read some of your posts on the Clayton blog on this topic). Given what happened in Cobb County a few years ago with their ‘laptop fiasco’, school districts have ‘committed’ to their citizens before the vote what these monies would be spent on. By law, SPLOST dollars can only be used for construction projects, technology procurement, or debt retirement. Assuming Clayco presented a plan regarding how these dollars will be used and installs a Citizens Oversight Committee to ensure the dollars are expended as planned, citizens should have some comfort with the process.

Ultimately we as citizens ‘own’ the physical plant that makes up the school system. If we did not have SPLOSTs which collects monies from everyone that spends money in that municipality, the financial burden for construction/repair of the schools will fall back on property owners, through property tax increases or issuing bonds. Given Clayton can generate much of their SPLOST revenue from the airport, it lessens the burden on most citizens.

ScienceTeacher671

September 16th, 2009
5:43 pm

I’m not necessarily opposed to SPLOSTs, since tourists pay part of them and it hopefully reduces property taxes, but I am opposed to these “stealth elections”…besides the fact that they aren’t well publicized, it would be much easier and cheaper to just have the one election in November.