\r\n\r\n \r\nBy now many have heard about a MOST or Municipal Option Sales Tax.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nIn the first part of this year—the city of Valdosta was faced\r\nwith having to relocate one of its’ waste water treatment plants\r\nplus construct a new force main. Funding for these type of projects\r\nhas over the past 20 years been paid for by SPLOST. With no plans\r\nby the county to call for another SPLOST after last year’s defeat,\r\nyour city leaders began discussing a MOST with our state\r\nlegislators. The criteria was very limiting on how the funds could\r\nbe used and what qualifications were required to be eligible. For\r\nthe most part these qualifications were based on Valdosta’s 2009\r\nflood event and the requirement for a consent order from EPD.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nThe bill was moving along within the state legislature when the\r\ncounty approached the city stating they had reconsidered and\r\ndecided to go for another SPLOST referendum. Once this was\r\nannounced, the city was no longer in need of a MOST as a SPLOST\r\nwould not only provide the funds for the waste water treatment\r\nplant and force main, but also other important capital projects. So\r\nwhat does this mean?\r\n\r\nHB 403<\/a> remains in the House Ways & Means\r\nCommittee and is eligible for consideration during the 2014\r\nLegislative Session. It would have to be brought back before the\r\nW&M Com, if it passes it would then go to the Rules Committee in\r\nthe House. If it passes Rules it then would go to the House floor\r\nfor a vote. If it passes the House it then would go through the\r\nwhole process again in the Senate and if it passes all that it \r\nwould then go to Gov. Deal for his signature. We then could call for\r\nthe local referendum and then if the voters pass it we will have a\r\nMOST. Just keep in mind…at this moment—there is no MOST to\r\nconsider. It may never make it all the way to enactment.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nI think it is also important to note in this discussion that there\r\nare some folks in our community that believe they know more about\r\nour infrastructure needs than the professional engineers, utility\r\ndirectors etc that work in these fields. As such do not believe the\r\ncity (nor county for that matter) “need” funds for roads, streets,\r\nbridges, fire equipment, maintenance equi pment etc. Unfortunately\r\nnone of those that are saying this have provided any factual proof\r\nnor expert reviews to substantiate these claims.\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\nSo let’s get down to the facts about a MOST versus a SPLOST:\r\n<\/p>\r\n \r\n* Consequences—if SPLOST fails and a MOST passes we still will\r\nhave to find funds to pay for maintenance of our roads, streets and\r\nbridges. We still will have to replace vehicles that no longer are\r\nreliable or too costly to maintain. Where would you propose we find\r\nthose funds? A small number think we can cut our budget and find\r\nthe funds. It is true, we could cut the budget and free up funds.\r\nBut so we are clear—people\/employees (fire, police,\r\nadmin\/customer service etc) are the major expense of our general\r\n\r\n![](\"http:\/\/www.l-a-k-e.org\/php\/include\/govt\/tim.carroll.jpg\")
<\/a>\r\nI have had a number of folks contact me about the upcoming SPLOST\r\nVII referendum and inquiring about a MOST. Trying to talk about all\r\nof this in as few a words as I can is not easy. But to give you\r\nsome perspective—the city’s general fund budget is $32M.\r\n$5.9M of the revenue for this fund comes from property taxes. Based\r\non the city tax digest a mill is worth $1.5M. The experts say\r\n50.2% of the sales tax is paid by out of towners. In the opinion of\r\nsome folks, it is closer to 30%. Pick the experts or local guesses\r\n….it still is a significant amount. It clearly is very beneficial\r\nto the citizens of Valdosta and Lowndes County.\r\n<\/p>\r\n\r\n
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<\/a>\r\nThe MOST (if passed by the Georgia House, then Senate, then\r\nsigned by the Governor which is not a certainty and then must be\r\npassed by referendum by the voters of Valdosta) will only pay for\r\nwater and sewer projects including the WWTP and force main\r\nprojects. It cannot be used for anything else. It will also create\r\na wedge between the city and county. So while a MOST tax may sound\r\ngreat on the surface, there will be potential negative consequences.\r\n<\/a>\r\nSPLOST (if passed by a majority of voters in all of Lowndes\r\nCounty) will not only pay for the WWTP and force main projects but\r\nalso a host of other capital projects. Projects that are listed\r\nsuch as roads\/streets\/bridges. Replace aging fire and police\r\nvehicles and equipment, replace garbage trucks, etc. Pay down or\r\noff debts connected to qualified capital projects. And do this for\r\nnot only the city of Valdosta, but Lowndes County and the c ities of\r\nRemerton, Dasher, Hahira and Lake Park. All your local governments \r\nand its’ citizens will benefit…not just the city of Valdosta.\r\n
<\/a>\r\nfund budget. ALL of our fire and police payroll and operational costs\r\nfall under this budget. Just fire and police alone account for 60%\r\nof our general fund budget. In order to free up the kind of money\r\nthat would be needed… ($55.4 million at a minimum) we have no\r\nchoice but to cut people and a lot of them. Are you Mr. and Mrs.\r\nvoter comfortable with eliminating jobs that result in less service\r\nto you? Cutting the budget enough to cover needed pr ojects will\r\nhave a domino effect. As you cut one area it impacts others.\r\n<\/p>\r\n
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<\/a>\r\nSo here you are—you have a decision and choice to make on\r\nNovember 5th- one of the three scenarios above will be decided\r\nupon. Two of them you have 100% control over and one will depend on\r\nthe state legislature. Think about that—you—the voter\r\nhas 100% control over telling his or her local city and county\r\nofficials how you want things paid for or not paid for. And rem\r\nember—it is YOU that told them how to pay for capital projects\r\nin the past. So if you think they have been wasteful—well the\r\nprojects have all been put before the voters and the spending is\r\naudited each and every year. I think the projects have been good\r\nand you have passed most of the referendums by a 70% and above\r\nvote. There are a host of projects completed that hav e benefited\r\nall of our citizens at all levels over the years.\r\n<\/p>\r\n