Reece's SPLOST bill okayed by State House

ATALNTA - A bill authored by a Gainesville lawmaker that would require more disclosure about how SPLOST funds are spent has cleared the State House.

State Representative Stacey Reece's bill mandates "plain English" audits of Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax collections so the public knows how successfully the tax is paying for the projects it is authorized to fund.

It has the support of both the Municipal Association of Georgia and the Association of County Commissioners of Georgia.

Reece says since SPLOST is a sales tax, its collections can sometimes vary widely during economic downturns. The bill, he says, will help voters know how the SPLOST is performing through times of economic change.

"This is a common-sense bill that helps educate the voters about the SPLOST tax they have approved," Reece said. "It keeps voters in the loop about the peformance of this important revenue source."

http://accesswdun.com/article/2004/3/162137