Voters OK school sales tax, homestead exemptions

Voters in Tuesday’s election determined that the Eastside will soon have a new elementary school.

The Education Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax was approved 4,547 to 1,941 while county voters also approved a school bond initiative, which won 3,147 to 1,193. 

“I’m proud that both of them were passed,” said Laurens County Superintendent Clifford Garnto. “I appreciate the confidence that the citizens place in Laurens County Schools and being able to allow us to move forward with the great ideas we have, especially with the improvements we are going to make on the Eastside. That investment is going to benefit all of our children and benefit our entire community.” 

In addition to the ESPLOST, Dublin voters also approved two homestead exemption measures. One gives senior citizens a bigger break on property taxes; the other caps the amount a property’s taxable value can increase each year. The senior exemption passed with 85 percent of the vote, 1,735 to 314. The second measure carried 69 percent of the vote, 1,446 to 654.

“I’m glad our citizens, voters of Dublin and Laurens County saw the need for us to have the ESPLOST extended and those homestead exemptions,”said Dublin City Board of Education chairman Kenny Walters. “It’s an opportunity to really let them know the board is thinking about senior citizens and paying property taxes. The voters spoke, and I’m really proud that they extended that opportunity for us to do some building and improvements and things like that.”

The main project on the city’s ESPLOST list is a new elementary school to replace Hillcrest. Other projects included renovations and improvements to existing school buildings and facilities, a multi-purpose athletic facility and improvements to existing athletic facilities.

SPLOST money cannot be used for salaries and operating expenses, but it can pay for things like books, buses, technology and instructional materials.

“We’ve got to do a better job explaining to the people about the SPLOST money and what we can do with it and can’t do with it,” Walters said. “A lot of people don’t understand that, but that’s on us. We’ve got to do a better job communicating that.”

A breakdown of the results showed that 2,714 voted to approve the ESPLOST on election day while 1,743 came out to vote yes during the advance voting period and 90 by absentee by mail. Those who voted no cast 1,068 on election day, 839 in advance voting and 34 in absentee by mail.

For the school bonds, 2,272 cast a yes vote on election day, 839 during advance voting and 36 through absentee by mail. Those who voted no cast 829 votes on election day, 352 in advance voting while 12 voted absentee by mail.

“This just shows the belief that our entire citizens have in what we’re doing and the trust that they have in us,” Garnto said.

Overall, 6,614 of the county’s 35,949 (18.40 percent) cast votes for the ESPLOST. For the bond vote, which only county residents could cast ballots for, had 4,409 of the 25,152 (17.53 percent) make a decision. 

The superintendent has said that this money will go toward paying about $10 million of debt off the new East Laurens High School and West Laurens Middle School buildings. Besides a new East Laurens Elementary School, the remainder of the money will go to the following priority list:

– Construction of a new ELMS athletic complex, construction of a WLHS multi-purpose athletic facility

– Renovations and improvements at all schools, including roofs and HVACS

– Upgrading and purchasing technology equipment at all schools and facilities

– Acquiring school buses

– Purchase safety and security equipment

– Purchase school instructional, fine arts and physical education equipment

The bonds will allow the county to borrow money against the future sales tax collections so that construction projects can begin. Garnto reiterated that the most important things about the penny SPLOST is that approximately 60 percent of it is not paid by local residents but from those traveling to shop, stay at local motels or purchase gas at the interstate. 

Garnto said their first priority is building a new ELE because the current building, which is in the middle of the campus, was built in 1971. He estimated that this will cost about $30 million. The next priority is a new athletic complex for the ELMS, which will look similar to the athletic complex at WLMS. This will cost around $10 million. The multi-purpose athletic facility at WLHS is needed because of the number of activities they have. The school currently has JROTC, dance and cheer and the weight room at WLHS can hardly accommodate the girls who are interested in weight training. 

The current ESPLOST expires around September 2027. With the passing of this ESPLOST, which is an extension of the current sales tax and not an additional tax, there will be a continuation of a one-cent tax for another five years. During those five years, Laurens County Schools will collect about $60 million.

In the Public Service Commission election, incumbent Tim Echols won Laurens County with 3,752 to 2,717 for challenger Alicia M. Johnson for District 2. Incumbent Fitz Johnson won Laurens County with 3,750 to 2,699 for challenger Peter Hubbard for District 3. Both of the challengers won the statewide election and will take seats on the PSC (for statewide results, see page 6).