Vote Yes To SPLOST

Have you ever wondered where our county gets the money it uses to pave roads, renovate parks or upgrade ambulances? These projects are made possible through funds accumulated by the Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax or SPLOST. In this blog we are going to help you understand why you should vote yes to SPLOST in November.

 

What is SPLOST?

Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax (SPLOST) is an 1% sales tax used to fund capital outlay projects proposed by the Liberty County government and participating municipal governments. Have you ever wondered where our county gets the money it uses to pave roads, renovate parks or upgrade ambulances? The answer is simple: these are your SPLOST funds at work! Although there are many misconceptions about SPLOST, the truth is that these funds are necessary to support growth and development in Liberty County!

 

Frequently Asked Questions

• Will my taxes go up? Not at all! It is already included in your current Liberty County sales tax.
  

  

• Why should I care about SPLOST? The proceeds are used to fund many essential projects around Liberty County, including the new Hinesville Library,
•  necessary road repairs and new fire trucks.
• How will I know what SPLOST funds are used for? You can always visit the county’s SPLOST webpage to see exactly how past SPLOST funds were allocated.
• How will SPLOST appear on the ballot? The SPLOST Referendum will appear on your ballot as COUNTY ONE PERCENT SALES AND USE TAX.

 

Myth vs Fact

• MYTH: The Special Purpose Sales and Use Tax will probably just be used to increase salaries and hire more people.
• FACT: The tax can only be used to construct, acquire or improve certain capital items as allowed by state law. It cannot be used to pay operational costs, including salaries and benefits.
• MYTH: They will probably use the money to build or improve whatever they want, not what they need.
• FACT: By state law, funds can only be used for items on the ballot, as approved by the voters.
• MYTH: We will probably never know where the money really goes.
• FACT: All entities that receive funds must separate these dollars from all other governmental funds. Additionally, they are required to publish an annual report as to their use.
• MYTH: The implementation of the tax will hurt our local economy by making goods cost more.
• FACT: While the tax will add one penny to goods purchased at the retail level, the cost will be spread among both citizens and visitors, which means visitors will help pay for community infrastructure, this has been estimated at 35%. In return, governments will not have to allocate property taxes for these purposes, thereby reducing operational costs for businesses.
• MYTH: They will probably still raise taxes.
• FACT: SPLOST cannot be touted as a property tax reducer, but it can be used as a property tax deferment. Since all of the capital improvements identified are essential to the community, they must be provided through some funding method. The penny tax insures that property taxes do not have to be used for those purposes.

Remember Early Voting will be from October 17-November 4 and Election Day is November 8.

For more information you can visit our site here.