Preparing for March education SPLOST vote

GAINESVILLE - The legal process leading to an education SPLOST referendum in Hall County next month has begun.

Voters will be asked to approve extension of a special sales tax for schools in the Buford and Gainesville school systems and the Hall County system.

The deadline to register for the March 15 vote is February 14.

Elections officials have begun the legal ads required to officially announce the referendum. If passed, the sales tax would be expected to raise not more than $197 million.

Below is a copy of the resolution approved by each of the school boards and the wording that will be on the ballot.

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CALL OF SPECIAL ELECTION FOR THE PURPOSE OF SUBMITTING A 1% SPECIAL LOCAL OPTION SALES TAX FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES.

WHEREAS, the Hall County Board of Education, the City of Gainesville Board of Education and City of Buford Board of Education, resolved that the Board of Elections shall hold a Special Election on March 15, 2011, to submit to the qualified voters of Hall County, Georgia for their approval or rejection of the Referendum regarding the imposition of a 1% Special Local Option Sales Tax for Educational Purposes, and;

WHEREAS, the Official Code of Georgia Annotated §36-82-1(d) a Special Election shall be held;

NOW, THEREFORE, by the authority vested in the undersigned by the laws of the State of Georgia, it is hereby ORDERED that a Special Election be held throughout Hall County, Georgia, on March 15, 2011, at the regular polling places for Hall County and the polls will open at 7:00am and close at 7:00pm, for the purpose of submitting the 1% Special Option Sales Tax for Educational Purposes.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that this Call of a Special Election be published in the official organ of Hall County, Georgia, not less than 30 days immediately preceding the date of the said Special Election.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the Board of Registrars shall cease taking applications from persons desiring to register to vote in this election on February 14, 2011.

IT IS FURTHER ORDERED that the ballot shall have printed thereon on the following:

"Shall a one percent sales and use tax for educational purposes be continued in Hall County for a period of time not to exceed five years, beginning with the calendar quarter following the calendar quarter in which the sales and use tax for educational purposes presently in effect expires, and for the raising of not more than $197,000,000 to be distributed between the Hall County School District and the City of Gainesville School District according to the FTE count, as provided in the Georgia Constitution, and to the City of Buford School District pursuant to a local law agreed to by the parties and enacted by the Georgia General Assembly, which shall provide that the City of Buford School District shall receive not less than $3,800,000, nor more than $4,100,000, with such taxes to be used for the following purposes:

For the Hall County School District, for the purpose of (i) payment of a portion of the payments, including principal and interest, due on the Hall County School District's Series 2007B Bonds, with a maximum payment amount of $9,604,500; (ii) acquiring, constructing and equipping new schools, fine arts facilities, physical education facilities, student activity facilities and other school system facilities, acquiring and conducting site preparation of real estate for school district purposes, constructing and equipping additional classrooms and instructional and support space, remodeling, renovating and equipping classrooms, instructional and support space and other school district facilities at existing school system facilities, and acquiring furnishings, equipment and fixtures for new and existing facilities system-wide, including technology equipment, textbooks, library books and school buses, with the estimated cost of such projects to be financed from funds raised by the Sales Tax being $152,983,000; and (iii) payment of any general obligation debt of the Hall County School District issued in conjunction with the imposition of the Sales Tax.

For the City of Gainesville School District, (i) paying a portion of the purchase payments due on that certain Installment Sale Agreement between the Gainesville City School District and the Gainesville Redevelopment Authority, with a maximum payment amount of $5,200,000; (ii) acquiring, constructing and equipping a new elementary school, acquiring, constructing and equipping additional classrooms, instructional and support facilities and physical education facilities, remodeling, renovating and equipping existing classrooms and instructional and support facilities at existing schools, acquiring land and conducting site preparation of real estate for school district purposes, acquiring furnishings, equipment and fixtures for new and existing facilities system-wide, and acquiring technology equipment, text books, teaching software and school buses, with the estimated cost of such projects to be financed from funds raised by the Sales Tax being $34,717,000; and (iii) payment of any general obligation debt of the City of Gainesville School District issued in conjunction with the imposition of the Sales Tax.

For the City of Buford School District, (i) acquiring, constructing and equipping new schools, fine arts facilities, physical education facilities, student activity facilities and other school system facilities, (ii) acquiring and conducting site preparation of real estate for school district purposes, (iii) constructing and equipping additional classrooms and instructional and support space, remodeling, renovating and equipping classrooms, instructional and support space, and other school district facilities at existing school system facilities, and (iv) acquiring furnishings, equipment and fixtures for new and existing facilities system-wide, including technology equipment, textbooks, library books and school buses with the estimated cost of the projects specified in (i) through (iv) above to be financed from funds raised by the Sales Tax being $4,100,000."

If the imposition of the tax is approved by the voters in the Hall County School District, such vote shall also constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of the Hall County School District in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $25,000,000 for the purposes set forth in item (ii) above for the Hall County School District and for the purpose of payment of expenses incident thereto and a portion of the interest on such debt. If the imposition of the tax is approved by the voters in the City of Gainesville School District, such vote shall also constitute approval of the issuance of general obligation debt of the City of Gainesville School District in the maximum aggregate principal amount of $19,000,000 for the purposes set forth in item (ii) above for the City of Gainesville School District and for the purpose of payment of expenses incident thereto and a portion of the interest on such debt.
( ) YES
( ) NO