Local elected officials feel so strongly about the importance of a bill before the Legislature, which would enable local transportation infrastructure improvements, that they are lobbying their case to Cobb Rep. Earl Ehrhart, R-Powder Springs, as well as to Gwinnett County officials.
Cherokee County Commission Chairman Buzz Ahrens, Post 3 Commissioner Karen Bosch and County Manager Jerry Cooper visited with Ehrhart Feb. 25 at the suggestion of Cobb County Commission Chairman Sam Olens.
Cherokee commissioners are pleading the case for a statewide penny sales tax bill, HB 365, that, among other things, could allow for a local property tax rollback and repairs to Bells Ferry Road, including the bridge over Lake Allatoona.
The bill is sponsored Rep. Sean Jerguson, R-Holly Springs, and was introduced during last year’s session, but it did not pass. Jerguson now says the bill is “on hold” until all transportation-related 1-cent proposals are on the table.
The legislation is co-sponsored by Rep. Calvin Hill, R-Canton, as well as Rep, Don Wix, D-Mableton, and Rep. David Casas, R-Lilburn.
It would allow a 1-cent sales tax to be put before voters in counties that are not at the sales tax ceiling imposed by the state of 7 cents on each dollar.
If voters in Cherokee approve a referendum for an extra penny, $30 million in proceeds from the extra penny (if worded so the penny was fractionalized), could go to local transportation improvements, as well as to rolling back the millage rate and arts and recreation projects. The Cherokee Board of Commissioners has passed a unanimous resolution asking Jerguson to push the bill through this year. The only counties that could take advantage of the bill and place the referendum on their ballots would be Cherokee, Cobb, Gwinnett and Douglas, all of which now collect 4 cents statewide and 2 cents locally.
Jerguson said Feb. 16 the bill was on hold because legislators want to see what other regional 1-cent sales tax transportation bills are being proposed in the legislature.
He said if Cherokee and the other 2-cent counties were also to add referendums for the 1 cent they have available, voters might see a 2-cent tax increase at once and vote both down.
However Ahrens does not ascribe to Jerguson’s line of thinking. He said the “local” 1 cent could be on Cherokee’s ballot by November or, at the latest, spring 2011, while other regional transportation proposals won’t be on the ballot until the end of 2012.
Ahrens believes the local 1 cent, if passed this year, could be significant for Cherokee citizens.
Ahrens said Ehrhart was “most interested and totally supportive.” Ahrens noted the penny could be fractionalized as to the causes the proceeds went to support, but if 50 percent of the penny went toward the county general fund, taxpayer millage rate would drop 34 percent, from 4.381 to 2.881. Since Cherokee already has the second-lowest general fund millage in the state, added proceeds from the proposed penny would bring the county portion of property taxes paid by residents to the lowest in the state.
Bosch noted that she feels Legislators should give the county as many tools as possible to maximize local control and local impact of tax dollars.
“I think it would be travesty not to allow us to have a method to fund these local projects. It’s a win-win for everyone,” she said. She said transportation monies are sorely needed to fix the “dangerous” bridge on Bells Ferry at Little River.
Ahrens said Ehrhart indicated that he would mention advantages of the bill to others in the Legislature, including Transportation Committee Chair Rep. Jay Roberts, R-Ocilla.
“This bill should stand alone; it should not become embedded in other bills,” Ahrens said. “We need to get this bill moving at the right time to secure its passage.”
Ahrens said as far as he’s concerned, until he hears different, he assumes the county has not lost Jerguson’s support on passage of HB 365.
When asked his position on the bill after his town hall meeting Feb. 27, in light of the commissioners’ visit to Cobb County, Jerguson said, “It hasn’t changed. We’re still reviewing the bills.”
Hill said that at this time during the session, there are so many transportation bills both in the House and Senate that legislators are looking to see what the best route available is to get bills passed.
“It’s likely through combining the best of each one,” he said. “We would like to take the time to make sure parts of the jigsaw fall together. We’ve got to do it at the right time, we’ve got to be able to sell it. It’s a practical matter on how to get from here to there.”
Hill said forcing the bill through right now could have unintended negative consequences. Rep. Mark Hamilton, R-Cumming, said he is supportive of HB 365.
“It allows local communities to use voter-approved revenue towards voter-approved transportation projects,” he said. “However, it is important that we pass the statewide-regional transportation SPLOST (Special Purpose Local Option Sales Tax) this year, so we must be careful not to confuse the two or sacrifice the statewide plan.”
State Sen. Chip Rogers, R-Woodstock, has said he would be supportive in helping HB 365 get through the Senate if the House passes it.
At press time, Ehrhart could not be reached for comment.
Ahrens said he was keeping Gwinnett County chairman Charles Bannister updated on his campaign to support the bill, along with Clint Mueller, who lobbies for the Association County Commissioners of Georgia (ACCG) in the Legislature.
