{"id":12221,"date":"2015-02-10T04:32:26","date_gmt":"2015-02-10T09:32:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/?p=12221"},"modified":"2015-02-10T04:35:39","modified_gmt":"2015-02-10T09:35:39","slug":"12-million-loss-to-local-lowndes-county-governments-text-of-valdosta-resolution-against-hb-170","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/blog\/2015\/02\/12-million-loss-to-local-lowndes-county-governments-text-of-valdosta-resolution-against-hb-170.html","title":{"rendered":"$12 million loss to local Lowndes County governments –text of Valdosta resolution against HB 170"},"content":{"rendered":"

\r\nLocal schools would lose\r\n$4 million annually<\/a>\r\nand local governments overall\r\n$12 million annually<\/a>,\r\n\r\n\"300x389<\/a>\r\nbecause\r\nHB 170 would\r\n\r\n“re-allocate local sales tax funding from local governments to the state of\r\nGeorgia”<\/a>, resolved Valdosta’s Mayor and Council last Thursday.\r\nPlus HB 170 would effectively authorize\r\n“double taxation of municipal residents”,\r\nbecause both Lowndes County and Valdosta would have to raise property taxes,\r\nwhich would result in Valdosta’s citizens being taxed more twice (by\r\nboth the county and the city).\r\nFor how serious Valdosta considers this threat to its ability to provide services\r\nto local citizens, witness how fast this resolution got passed\r\n(within weeks after HB 170 was introduced into the legislature)\r\ncompared to how long it took for Valdosta to pass\r\na resolution against the Sabal Trail pipeline<\/a>\r\n(about eighteen months).\r\n

\r\nHere’s\r\n\r\nthe complete text of the Valdosta resolution<\/a> that\r\npassed 5 Febuary 2015.\r\nSee also\r\n\r\nValdosta’s PR about this resolution<\/a>, which contains links to the evidence,\r\nand\r\n\r\nValdosta’s letter to the sponsor of the bill<\/a>.\r\n

\r\n

\r\nRESOLUTION NO. 2015-3\r\n

\r\nA RESOLUTION TO OPPOSE THE STATE OF GEORGIA’S\r\n
\r\nTRANSPORTATION FUNDING ACT OF 2015\r\n\r\n\r\n

\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong>, the Joint Study Committee on Critical Transportation\r\nInfrastructure Funding has issued a report which identifies the need\r\nfor the State of Georgia to raise additional revenue to address\r\ntransportation needs; and\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong>, House Bill 170 has now been introduced which recommends the\r\nstate invest over $1 billion annually in transportation related\r\nprojects, with over $500 million of the $1 billion coming from local\r\nsales taxes from cities, counties and school systems; and\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong>, in 2013, local governments in Georgia collected $516\r\nmillion in local sales taxes (LOST, SPLOST, ELOST, ESPLOST, HOST.\r\nMARTA and Atlanta’s MOST) from the sales of motor fuel; and\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong><\/a>, if motor fuel is removed or exempted from local sales\r\ntaxes, the Georgia Municipal Association estimates that Lowndes\r\nCounty could lose approximately $12,387,653.89 million annually,\r\nincluding proceeds to the Valdosta City government, the Lowndes\r\nCounty government and the Lowndes County and Valdosta City School\r\nSystems; and\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong><\/a>, the proposed bill would reduce local SPLOST funding, local\r\nLOST collections used for funding services and property tax\r\nreduction and local E-SPLOST funding to the school systems by\r\napproximately $4,129,217.96 for each tax annually; and\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong>, in 2013, the total amount of SPLOST funds spent on\r\ntransportation by the cities and counties of Georgia was\r\napproximately $746 million; and\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong>, Georgia’s local governments have made and continue to make\r\nsubstantial investments toward transportation projects; and\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nWHEREAS<\/strong>, this Council urges the members of the Georgia General\r\nAssembly and our local delegation to strongly oppose any provision\r\nor measure to reduce allocation of sales tax funding to local\r\ngovernments;\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\n\"300x389<\/a>\r\n\r\n\r\nNOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED<\/strong><\/a>\r\nthe City Council of Valdosta, Georgia\r\nhereby urges the Georgia General Assembly and our local delegation\r\nto strongly oppose any bill, provision or measure to re-allocate\r\nlocal sales tax funding from local governments to the state of\r\nGeorgia, Furthermore that the State of Georgia not approve any\r\nprovision of a Transportation Bill that authorizes double taxation\r\nof municipal residents.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n\r\nBE IT FURTHER RESOLVED<\/strong> that this Resolution was introduced at a\r\nRegular Meeting of the City Council of Valdosta, Georgia. held on\r\nthe 5th<\/sup><\/small> day of February, 2015,\r\nand adopted at said meeting by the affinnative vote of seven members\r\nof the Mayor and Council.\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\n[signed]\r\n
\r\nMayor John Gayle, City of Valdosta\r\n<\/p>\r\n

\r\nATTEST:\r\n
\r\n[signed]\r\n
\r\nTeresa S. Bolden, Clerk of Council\r\n<\/p>\r\n<\/blockquote>\r\n

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